DBSA

The Development Bank of Southern Africa is a state-owned development finance institution that funds and supports infrastructure and development projects across South Africa and the broader southern African region. Headquartered in Midrand, Gauteng, the bank operates under the mandate of accelerating sustainable socioeconomic development and regional integration. It is wholly owned by the South African government and reports to the Minister of Finance. The bank's core activities include project preparation, financing, implementation support and capacity building for infrastructure in sectors such as energy, transport, water, telecommunications and municipal services. It provides loans, guarantees, equity investments and technical assistance to public-sector entities, municipalities, state-owned enterprises and private-sector partners involved in development projects. The Development Bank of Southern Africa plays a significant role in South Africa's energy transition, financing renewable energy projects and supporting decarbonisation initiatives. It also extends its operations beyond South Africa's borders, supporting infrastructure development in countries across the Southern African Development Community region. The bank has been instrumental in catalysing investment in projects that might otherwise struggle to secure commercial financing due to their developmental nature or perceived risk. Established in 1983, the Development Bank of Southern Africa has evolved from its original focus on the former homelands to become a pan-regional development finance institution with a broad infrastructure and social development mandate.