Three years after entering the capital of AFG Holding, AfricInvest signs an exemplary exit, realizing a targeted support strategy in the transformation of a regional banking player into an integrated financial powerhouse.
Between 2022 and 2025, the partnership between AfricInvest and the Ivorian banking group enabled a doubling of the balance sheet total, from 3 to nearly 6 billion dollars. The growth of the loan portfolio is equally significant: +79%, reaching 2.5 billion dollars. Net banking income more than doubled, and return on equity (ROE) now exceeds 28%.
This performance is the result of a strategic capital contribution, combined with governance and structuring support, at a time when AFG was seeking to obtain a banking license in Côte d’Ivoire and expand its regional footprint.
Under the impetus of AfricInvest, AFG Holding accelerated its development. The acquisition of Access Microfinance Holding AG in September 2024 allowed the integration of five microfinance institutions. At the same time, the group diversified through an investment bank in Mauritius and a brokerage firm in Cameroon.
“AFG Holding has become the illustration of what strategic vision and regional ambition can achieve,” says ABISSA Kouakou Anzoua, a member of the board of directors.
Founded in 2006 by Ivorian entrepreneur Koné Dossongui as the financial arm of the Atlantic Group, AFG Holding is now present in several countries, offering integrated digital banking services. Its rise has also been supported by a strategic agreement with the Ivorian state in 2023 for the acquisition of Banque Populaire de Côte d’Ivoire, illustrating the upgrading of French-speaking regional groups through external growth operations and public partnerships.
“We are proud to have supported AFG Holding at a pivotal moment in its evolution. The group is now positioned to play a transformative role on the continent,” says Youssouf Koné, a partner at AfricInvest.
With over 2.3 billion dollars raised since its inception and more than 230 funded companies, AfricInvest affirms its mission to build strong financial institutions, in line with the needs of regional integration and banking in Africa.
This exit comes at a favorable time for disinvestments in African private equity. After the record return (×29) of Silverbacks on the Nigerian fintech LemFi in January, and AfricInvest’s exit from the payments group MDP in May, 2025 promises to be fruitful. Liquidity conditions and the increasing maturity of targets now position Africa as a credible playing field for complete investment cycles.
