Stanbic Bank Kenya and Stanbic Bank Uganda have jointly facilitated a USD 45 million cross-border financing deal to support the expansion of two PepsiCo bottlers; Crown Beverages Limited (CBL) in Uganda and SBC Kenya Limited in Kenya, strengthening regional trade and industrial growth in East Africa.
The financing package, comprising USD 30 million for CBL and USD 15 million for SBC Kenya, was structured under the Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest financial institution with a footprint in 20 markets. The deal underscores the Group’s commitment to enabling regional business expansion and advancing cross-border trade integration across the continent.
According to Stanbic Bank, the funding is aimed at supporting industrial expansion, job creation, and value chain development in key manufacturing sectors. The initiative is part of the bank’s wider objective to provide innovative financing solutions that connect African markets and stimulate intra-African trade.
“This transaction exemplifies how our Positive Impact framework translates ambition into action,” said Paul Mugawan, Executive Director and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank Uganda. “By structuring a cross-border solution with our colleagues in Kenya, we are advancing inclusive growth across financial, enterprise, and industrial dimensions.”
The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between Stanbic Bank Uganda and Crown Beverages Limited, which spans over two decades. Since 2020, the Standard Bank Group has supported CBL’s modular expansion strategy and played a key advisory role in the acquisition of SBC Kenya by CBL’s shareholders in 2023, a move that consolidated PepsiCo’s bottling operations across East Africa.
The partnership between Stanbic Bank and PepsiCo bottlers is a reflection of the growing appetite for cross-border investments within Africa’s consumer goods sector. As manufacturers seek to scale operations beyond national borders, access to flexible and regionally coordinated financing solutions has become critical.
Stanbic’s transaction demonstrates how regional banks can leverage their networked presence to mobilize capital efficiently across markets, a model increasingly relevant under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
“Through the Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest bank with a presence in 20 markets, our clients gain the confidence and capability to expand beyond borders,” said Mugawan. “Banking with Stanbic in Uganda or Kenya means leveraging Africa’s most extensive financial network to drive regional growth.”
Stanbic Bank Kenya’s Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, SJ Kok, said the transaction highlights the strength of Standard Bank Group’s regional network and its commitment to delivering sustainable financing that aligns with Africa’s economic priorities.
“Our ability to collaborate across borders underscores the power of our regional network. Through our established relationship with Crown Beverages Limited, we were able to seamlessly extend support to SBC Kenya and design a funding structure that met the complex requirements of a cross-border expansion,” Kok noted.
The bank stated that the funds will be directed toward boosting manufacturing output, supporting local supply chains, and enhancing productivity in beverage production. The investment is also expected to have ripple effects on job creation, particularly benefiting youth, women, and smallholder farmers within the supply chain ecosystem.
Stanbic Bank emphasized that the initiative aligns with its Positive Impact strategy, which seeks to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth across Africa. By offering bespoke financial solutions, the bank aims to bridge capital gaps that often hinder cross-border enterprise development.
The transaction between Stanbic Bank and PepsiCo bottlers also reaffirms the Standard Bank Group’s position as a leading facilitator of intra-African trade and investment. The Group’s approach of combining corporate banking expertise with local market insight enables clients to execute expansion strategies with reduced risk and increased efficiency.
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