Registration has opened for the 2026 Certificate of Trade Finance in Africa (Cotfia), a flagship programme offered by the Afreximbank Academy (Afracad) to strengthen trade-finance capacity across the continent.
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Designed for banking professionals and practitioners, the programme aims to build critical trade-related skills and address capacity gaps, enabling Africa to compete more effectively in global markets. With strong interest expected and scholarship opportunities available, the certification presents a valuable career boost.
Afracad has confirmed that applications are now open, with the deadline for registration set for Sunday, 31 May 2026, inviting eligible candidates.
Developed in partnership with Factors Chain International, the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Quarter Bank, the programme is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of all aspects of international trade finance and is continuously updated to conform to best practices.
It also addresses various aspects of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is expected to have a significant impact on improving intra-African trade.
Building trade expertise
Similar to the 2025 cohort, the 2026 Cotfia programme will be conducted in a blended format, with five modules delivered online in instructor-led virtual sessions, one module in face-to-face sessions at the AUC campus in New Cairo, Egypt, and the final module asynchronously online.
Commenting on the programme, Stephen Kauma, Managing Director, Human Resources, Afreximbank, underscored its strategic importance in "building a new generation of highly skilled trade-finance professionals capable of advancing Africa’s trade agenda and strengthening the continent’s ability to compete effectively in the global marketplace.”
Kauma urged African banking professionals and other practitioners in trade finance to take advantage of the programme, announcing that Afracad will offer scholarships covering 50 per cent of tuition fees to the first seven applicants this year, further reinforcing the Bank’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality trade-finance capacity building across Global Africa.
Programme growth journey
Afracad was recognised for the Cotfia programme in October 2025, earning the Silver Award in the Professional Development category at the 2025 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Excellence in Practice Awards, presented during a ceremony in Stokholm, Sweden.
These awards celebrate impactful and high-quality learning and development partnerships in the executive, professional, talent, and organisational development areas.
The Cotfia programme was launched in 2016, initially as the Certificate of Finance in International Trade (Cofit) but was restructured in 2021 with Afracad partnering with the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at the AUC to strengthen its academic rigour and regional relevance.
The programme has, so far, trained more than 150 professionals from across the continent, equipping them with the technical, regulatory, and practical competencies required to strengthen Africa’s trade-finance landscape and unlock new opportunities for intra-African and global trade.
Professionals interested in the 2026 Cotfia programme can register here.
