Credinvest International Expands Footprint
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday May 25, 2020 14:09
Trading as Credinvest International Botswana, the company seeks to provide high active project financing and consulting services to offer tailored, focused and dynamic solutions to both private and public institutions.
The company is into financing of every sector of the economy from healthcare, transportation (highways, railways, airports) energy, tourism, agriculture, and education to infrastructure.
In an interview, the company’s country director Lawrence Larson said Credinvest does not only provide funding for projects but the firm also has technical partners who comprise world class technology solutions from the European Union, America and Asia.
“We also provide funding to any other international company, which would like to set up investment here in Botswana,” Larson told BusinessMonitor.
“Credinvest is into different services aside from funding of projects, which most of our competitors do.”
Credinvest International does not have specific requirements like most of their competitors have listed in their policies.
According to Larson, since they serve as a financial consulting firm, they also listen to clients and structure what project an entrepreneur can put on the table in terms of private financing.
“In terms of government projects we have the Build Operate Transfer System or full debt or loan to the government, where government issues a bank guarantee or a ministry of finance guarantee,” he said.
The company can fund even up to a billion euros, but the minimum project financing is €5 million. Interest rates given to states is about one to 1.5 percent per annum while private institutions interest rates range from four to 7.5 percent depending on either repayment being amortised or bullet.
“Credinvest’s funding is not stressful, as most entities here in Botswana claim they go through a lot of stress to be funded by our competitors, especially for huge projects, which need lots of funding,” he said.
Larson said their local competitors include the Botswana Development Corporation, Citizenship Entrepreneurial Development Agency, National Development Bank and commercial banks.
“Like many countries, Botswana faces challenges in the delivery of public services infrastructure including maintenance and operational obligations. New infrastructure needs to be provided and existing infrastructure upgraded to deliver public services more effectively and extend access to services to a greater number of the population,” he said.
He further noted that in order to deliver such needed capital investment whilst maintaining sound fiscal policies, there is need to look for support and collaboration from other sectors of the economy.
“Accessing private sector financing will develop and strengthen the Botswana financial capital markets and may stimulate additional foreign direct investment. These are future prospects of Credinvest International Botswana since we will be in PPP with the government of Botswana to make this a reality,” Larson said.