The Team
Our journey
Our journey began in September 2021 with the establishment of the Company. The founder, Kutoane Kutoane, CTFP was inspired to form the Company by his extensive experience in the financial structuring, lending and credit insurance sectors where he spearheaded multiple transactions aimed at optimizing customer cash flow positions in order to unlock limitless growth potential.
Kutoane’s experience in credit spans over 30 years in many renouned financial institutions such as International Finance Corporation (IFC), Lesotho Bank (now Lesotho Standard Bank), Nedbank, Industiral Development Corporation and later Eexport Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC). While CEO of ECIC, he was instrumental in formulating financing and credit risk management initiatives to maximize opportunities for South African businesses exporting to the rest of Africa through the AfCFTA mechanism.
Our team of seasoned deal originators, credit analysts and trade finance specialists genuinely understand the challenges facing South African small and medium businesses (SMEs) in accessing working capital for growth in the country, as well as the challenges of having to work through the unfamiliar rubric of requirements for successful cross-border trade.
Our team of seasoned deal originators, credit analysts and trade finance specialists
Kutoane Kutoane
Kutoane Kutoane is the founder and CEO of Trade Fiance Africa. His career spans over 30 years, over which he has obtained a deep understanding of dynamics and challenges of financing projects in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from power, mining, real estate and general economic infrastructure. He has won some prestigious awards in recognition of his leadership and contributions.
Kutoane’s experience in credit spans many renouned financial institutions such as International Finance Corporation (IFC), Lesotho Bank (now Lesotho Standard Bank), Nedbank, Industiral Development Corporation and later Eexport Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa (ECIC). While CEO of ECIC, he was instrumental in formulating financing and credit risk management initiatives to maximize opportunities for South African businesses exporting to the rest of Africa through the AfCFTA mechanism. Kutoane worked with Afrieximbank to establish a USD1 billion South Africa-Africa Trade and Investment Promotioin Programme (SATIPP).
He started his professional career in the early 1990s in banking and finance. He then spent some two years in the Harare office of the Africa Enterprise Fund (AEF) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) financing private sector-led projects, mostly SMEs in Southern Africa. He subsequently undertook several corporate finance transactions including M&A and leveraged buyouts in support of the emerging businesses in South Africa in line with the county’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) program under the auspices of the then Nedbank Investment Bank (NIB) and later the Msele Corporate and Merchant Bank (MCMB) before joining Eskom as head of corporate strategic finance in 1998.
Kutoane holds master’s degree in economics from University of Manchester and has completed Advanced Management Programme (AMP) with Harvard Business School in 2002. He also completed the Advanced Credit and Trade Finance qualification with Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. He holds a Fellowship of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa (IoDSA) and currently accredited for Certified Trade Finance Professional (CTFP) with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Academy.