Wilderness secures ‘green’ loan
Thursday, October 19, 2023 | 490 Views |
Pristine: Wilderness is one of Africa's biggest conservation and tourism groups
Known as “principle-aligned nature conservation financing” the loan sealed between Standard Bank and Wilderness represents a first for the African market.
Standard Bank head of Corporate Financing Solutions in the Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) division, Brydone Graham told BusinessWeek that while the quantum of the funding was not yet public information, the finance has been deployed across most of Wilderness' African footprint.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...