Kinshasa, April 9, 2026 – Rawbank, as the leading commercial bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, announces the successful issuance of the DRC’s first-ever eurobond, for a total amount of USD 1.25 billion, acting as Joint Global Coordinator alongside Citigroup and as Joint Bookrunner together with Citigroup and Standard Chartered Bank.
A landmark transaction marking the DRC’s access to international capital markets
This inaugural eurobond issuance marks a major milestone for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For the first time, the country is accessing international capital markets as a sovereign issuer, joining the group of states able to raise financing from institutional investors on a global scale. The transaction, structured in two tranches, a 5-year (2032 maturity) and a 10-year (2037 maturity) , with respective yields of 8,75 % et 9,50 %, reflects strong investor demand and a risk premium in line with emerging market benchmarks. Issued under 144A/Reg S format and expected to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, it meets the technical and regulatory requirements of international capital markets, demonstrating the financial engineering capacity deployed to align investor expectations with the country’s fundamentals.
A strong investor demand
The transaction attracted strong interest from international investors exceeding USD 5 billion across the combined 5-year and 10-year maturities, confirming the DRC’s growing credibility in global financial markets. In this context, Rawbank acted as Joint Global Coordinator alongside Citigroup and as Joint Bookrunner together with Citigroup and Standard Chartered Bank.
This is a big moment, and above all, a decisive one for the markets. The DRC is finalizing its first international sovereign transaction and demonstrating that it can now access global investors under structured conditions. What matters most is the signal this sends: fundamentals are improving, economic visibility is strengthening, and investors are responding. For Rawbank, the objective is very concrete: to position and price the DRC’s credit in international markets at the right levels and in line with investor expectations. We are proud to have supported this transaction, which paves the way for further international financing, including for non-sovereign issuers”, Mustafa Rawji, Chief Executive Officer, Rawbank
This momentum is supported by improving macroeconomic fundamentals, including inflation brought down to around 2.3%, expected growth of 5.8%, and a contained level of public debt, close to 18% of GDP, among the lowest globally, all factors reinforcing investor confidence and confirming the relevance of structured market transactions to support this trajectory.
About Rawbank
For over 23 years, with total assets of USD 6.8 billion, Rawbank SA has been supporting the development of the Congolese economy. The leading bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the past 13 years, Rawbank offers modern and innovative financial products and services to more than 500,000 corporates, SMEs and retail clients, through a network of over 100 branches across 19 provinces, a robust digital offering including IllicoCash and online banking services, and more than 320 ATMs nationwide. Rawbank’s performance and commitment have been recognized through several distinctions, including the African Banker Award for Best Regional Bank in Central Africa in 2022 and 2024, a B3 rating from Moody’s, as well as ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications. Its trusted partners include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Guarantee Fund (AGF), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), BADEA, the Trade and Development Bank (TDB), Afreximbank, PROPARCO, and British International Investment. For more information, please visit: www.rawbank.com
