GuarantCo, part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), has provided a USD 38.4 million (XAF equivalent) guarantee solution to Société Générale Cameroun (SG) and Société Commerciale de Banque Cameroun (SCB), a subsidiary of Attijariwafa Bank Group to finance TollCam, a project company established by Egis and Fayat. The financing comprises a 14-year combined liquidity extension and partial credit guarantee to support debt for the modernisation, operation and maintenance of 14 toll plazas across Cameroon.

The project is being developed by the sponsors under a 20-year PPP agreement with the Government of Cameroon (GoC). The combined guarantees will help SG and SCB provide XAF 32.5 billion (circa USD 52.5 million) of long-term debt arranged by Société Générale Côte d’Ivoire to support the toll development project.

This is the first financing agreement solely focussed on toll plaza infrastructure in Africa and is expected to be replicated across other toll sites on the continent. The project will lead to significantly higher toll revenue collection via more secure and efficient toll gates, collections, and payment systems but without increasing the toll price or changing traffic flows. The extra revenues will benefit the GoC’s Road Fund which will invest in further development of the road network in Cameroon. It is also the first road related PPP in Cameroon and may lead to further involvement of the private sector in the development of the road network in the country.

There are regulatory constraints in Cameroon that limit lending to a maximum tenor of seven years, which is insufficient for the long-term debt requirements of infrastructure projects. GuarantCo’s liquidity extension guarantee provides the required support for lenders to double the tenor of their facilities from seven to 14 years, thus enabling the viability of the TollCam project. GuarantCo is also offering a 75 percent partial credit guarantee during the last seven years of the project as an additional risk mitigant for the lenders.

The project contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17.1 – Strengthen domestic resource mobilisation to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection and SDG 9.1 – Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.

Layth Al-Falaki, CEO GuarantCo, said: “We are delighted to have closed our third transaction in Cameroon and to support the Government to further their road development ambitions in the country.  TollCam is a first of a kind infrastructure project with much potential to be replicated in other African countries. This is our second liquidity extension guarantee in Africa, after Kékéli Efficient Power in Togo, and we are hoping to implement similar solutions in other countries to help unlock much needed long-term infrastructure financing.”

Philippe Serain, President TollCam said: “TollCam is very proud to be fully involved into the automatic tolling of the main Cameroon roads with 14-year local currency funding which will be a great landmark for the whole African continent.”