ABC Holdings

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On April 1, 2012, MIGA issued a guarantee of $12.1 million to ADC Financial Services and Corporate Development of Mauritius for its investment in ABC Holdings (ABCH) in Botswana. The coverage is for a period of up to 10 years against the risks of transfer restriction, expropriation, and war and civil disturbance. The project involves ADC's acquisition of approximately 20 percent of the shares in ABCH. ABCH is the holding company of a number of banks in sub-Saharan Africa, with independent banking licenses, operating under the BancABC brand.  The banks offer a diverse range of financial services including personal, business, and corporate banking—as well as investment/merchant banking, asset management, stock-broking, and treasury services. ADC's investment will strengthen and diversify ABCH's funding base and bring about a transfer of technical know-how and best practices to the banking group. This will enable the group to develop a solid platform from which to expand banking services to segments of the market that are generally underserved by foreign banks in Southern and Eastern Africa. Of particular development interest, it is expected that the investment will result more loans to small and medium enterprises. ABCH is committed to offering above average wages and benefits to staff, as well as ongoing training to ensure a modern workforce. The project is in line with the World Bank's Country Partnership Strategy for Botswana, which underlines a need for the country to diversify its economy and identifies international financial services as a key sector in new value chains.

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