- CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) has secured an additional US$200 million in senior debt, completing the second tranche of a portfolio financing facility arranged by Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (SBSA).
- The first tranche of the facility closed in December 2024.
- The latest investment significantly increases CBE’s senior-debt commitments and expands its ancillary financing capacity.
The funding will be used to advance CBE’s growing portfolio of renewable-energy projects across Africa, supporting customers in the mining, heavy-industry, and telecommunications sectors. Among the projects now under construction is the landmark Kamoa-Kakula Solar PV/BESS Baseload Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, designed to supply 30 MW of baseload power to Africa’s largest copper mine.
SBSA served as mandated lead arranger for the transaction, joined by a consortium of lenders that includes Absa, The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI), DEG, and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. The portfolio financing structure received the IFLR Africa Deal of the Year (Loan category) in March 2025.
CBE received advisory support from Cygnum Capital, while lenders were advised by Trinity International LLP, SLR Consulting, DNV South Africa, INDECS Consulting, and Deloitte & Touche LLP.
The deal follows a year of growing investor confidence in CBE, including commitments from Norfund, Impact Fund Denmark, and the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund. In July 2025, CBE also secured a US$495 million guarantee framework from the World Bank’s MIGA, helping mitigate currency-related risks across multiple African markets.
The announcement comes just days before the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, where infrastructure investment and global economic cooperation are central themes. Access to reliable power remains one of the most significant barriers to industrial growth across the continent, and CBE’s financing is being framed as a prominent example of private capital unlocking Africa’s economic potential.
US$1 billion target for renewable projects by 2030
At the Global Citizen NOW conference, held ahead of the G20 Summit, CrossBoundary Energy committed to achieving US$1 billion worth of renewable-energy projects in operation or under construction by 2030. The pledge includes CBE’s existing portfolio as well as future commercial and industrial projects across Africa.
CBE’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Tessa Lee, announced the pledge on stage and formally agreed to Global Citizen’s monitoring and reporting framework, ensuring transparency and accountability as projects advance.
South Africa’s 2025 G20 presidency concludes with the Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg this weekend, positioning renewable-energy commitments like CBE’s as a key part of the continent’s development agenda.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
