Zanzibar, Tanzania:  Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), a leading Pan-African multilateral development bank, dedicated to financing and promoting housing, urban & related infrastructure development across the African continent, has been honored with the prestigious “Pan-African Development Bank Leadership Award – A Pioneer in Housing Finance” for its outstanding contributions to the development of the continent.

The award, presented during the 40th Anniversary Gala of the African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) and the International Secondary Mortgage Market Association (ISSMA), recognized Shelter Afrique Development Bank for its pioneering leadership and 42 years unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable development in Africa’s housing sector. This prestigious honor was conferred by Ambassador Sharon Trail, founder of the AUHF 40 years ago, who was also honored with a lifetime achievement award at the same event.

Receiving the award, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director, Thierno-Habib Hann expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "This honor is a testament to our mission of transforming Africa’s housing and urban landscape. We are proud of the work we’ve done in collaboration with governments, development finance institutions (DFIs), private developers, and financial institutions across Africa to provide affordable housing solutions."

The award highlights the transformative changes taking place at ShafDB, driven by its visionary leadership and the 'New Dawn' strategy now coming to light.

Last month, ShafDB was designated as the anchor resource mobilization partner at the African Union’s Inaugural Africa Urban Forum in its Addis Ababa Declaration, further solidifying the Bank’s central role in shaping Africa's urban development and housing landscape.

Shaping the housing agenda

Over the past four decades, ShafDB has spearheaded various affordable housing projects in over 40 African countries, playing a crucial role in shaping the housing agenda by providing long-term financing solutions, promoting green building initiatives, and supporting the construction of inclusive communities.

Going forward, the institution aims to build on its success by leveraging its expertise and resources to address Africa's housing and urban challenges, focusing on scalable, sustainable, inclusive, and impactful solutions.

"We dedicate this award to our shareholders, partners, clients, and the communities we serve. It is through these collaborations that we will continue to make a lasting impact on Africa’s development. My thanks go to our esteemed Board Members who have shown relentless support to our transformation, and to our bold staff at Shelter Afrique Development Bank. They are the reason for our success. For it is only through teamwork, passion, and dedication that we can elevate ShafDB to fulfill its mission for Africa,” Mr. Hann concluded.

About Shelter Afrique Development Bank:

Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) is the Pan-African Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) dedicated to promoting and financing sustainable green housing, urban development and related infrastructure. It operates through a shareholding of 44 African governments and two institutional shareholders: the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa-Re).

The institution is involved in financing housing and related infrastructure across the value chain, both on the demand and supply sides, through its four (4) business lines: Financial Institutions Group (FIG), the Project Finance Group (PFG), the Sovereign and Public-Private partnerships (PPP) Group, and the Fund Management Group (FMG).

About African Union Housing Finance (AUHF)

Since its formation in 1984, the AUHF has evolved into a member-based, industry association of mortgage banks, building societies, housing corporations, Development Finance Institutions and other organisations involved in the mobilisation of funds for shelter and housing on the African continent. As an industry body, the AUHF promotes the development of effective housing markets and the delivery of affordable housing across Africa, working in the interests of the members and the industry as a whole. The AUHF is governed by a board of industry leaders elected every two years at its Annual General Body. The Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF), based in South Africa, acts as the Secretariat of the AUHF.

International Secondary Mortgage Market Association (ISSMA)

International Secondary Mortgage Market Association (ISMMA) is the first global association to bring together secondary mortgage markets institutions to focus on advocacy on regulatory issues, share information, and provide support to newly established institutions in this space.

The association provides a platform for member countries to exchange ideas on how to improve access to housing finance for their citizens and ultimately reach the goal of adequate, safe and affordable housing for all. The UN estimates that the global population will reach 8.5 billion by 2030, with almost 60% of the population living in urban centers. An estimated 3 billion people will need new housing and basic urban infrastructure by 2030. Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization putting pressure on housing delivery systems, many urban poor will not be able to afford formal housing without proper housing finance solutions. This puts the issue of housing finance at the forefront of global development agenda, and the ISMMA will serve as an important platform to envision and design solutions to enhance access to housing finance.

The ISMMA Secretariat has moved from the World Bank to the European Mortgage Federation - European Covered Bond Council (EMF-ECBC) as of July 1, 2022.

For further inquiries, please contact:
Communication Team | Shelter Afrique| Shelter Afrique Centre | Longonot Road – Upper Hill|
Email: info@shelterafrique.org|

OR

Mike Omuodo | Media Fast PR| Email: mike.omuodo@mediafast.co.ke