AFC Becomes First African Institution to Issue CHF 350 Million Digital Bond

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has made history by issuing a CHF 350 million, five-year digital bond on the SIX Digital Exchange (SDX), making it the first African institution to do so.

The bond was priced at a coupon of 1.4925 per cent and is listed on both the SDX and the traditional SIX Swiss Exchange.

AFC described the issuance as the largest digital bond ever issued in the Swiss franc market, surpassing the World Bank's CHF 200 million seven-year issuance in size.

The transaction was structured as a tokenised security using distributed ledger technology (DLT), with ownership recorded on a regulated digital register and settlement taking place through regulated digital market infrastructure operated by SIX SIS AG.