GHIB partners Vista Bank to improve access to global finance

THE Ghana International Bank (GHIB) has entered into a strategic collaboration with the Vista Bank Group to expand trade finance access across West Africa. 

The move, announced at the CNVERGE ’25 conference in London, is aimed at strengthening intra-African banking cooperation and giving regional businesses greater access to international financial markets.

Under the agreement, the GHIB will act as the primary correspondent banking partner for the Vista Bank Group’s operations in The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Guinea. 

The partnership is expected to ease cross-border trade and improve access to international funding.

The GHIB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dean Adansi, said the collaboration marked a continuation of the bank’s long-standing role in linking African financial institutions with global markets. 

“This partnership represents a tangible expression of our commitment to be Africa’s bridge to international finance and correspondent banking. We provide African banking groups such as Vista the critical access for funding, international trade finance and global payments that allows for expansion and growth. We have kept faith in providing this access to Africa since 1959 and are honoured to now deliver same to the Vista Group,” he said.

SMEs

The Vista Bank Group, through its parent company the Vista Group Holding SA, operates across several West African markets, offering services in small and medium enterprise (SME) banking, trade finance, leasing and bancassurance. 

The Managing Director of Vista Bank France, Serage Raymond, revealed that the new partnership with the GHIB was designed to open up international opportunities for SMEs, which often face barriers to securing trade finance independently.

Through GHIB’s network of international banking relationships, the Vista Bank clients will gain access to credit lines, letters of credit, trade guarantees, foreign exchange services and payment processing. 

This framework, referred to as “TradeBridge,” is aimed at providing practical financial solutions for businesses across West Africa.

“The Ghana International Bank has become our gateway to the global financial system. Where other international banks have been unable to provide the access we need, the GHIB has demonstrated genuine commitment to African development through practical banking solutions. This partnership enables us to serve the backbone of African economies the SMEs,” he said.

The CEO of the GHIB, Dean Adansi revealed that the agreement responded to a long-standing challenge in African trade finance, where regional banks have struggled to secure reliable correspondent banking services and international credit facilities. 

The GHIB’s involvement is expected to close this gap, allowing African businesses to participate more effectively in global commodity markets.

The Vista Group has made financial inclusion a core part of its strategy, with an emphasis on supporting women-focused services, supply chain finance and affordable insurance products. 

By connecting with the GHIB, the group expects to widen its service reach while maintaining cost efficiency and risk controls.

The GHIB’s approach also places emphasis on African unity, avoiding traditional divides between Anglophone and Francophone markets. 

“At the GHIB, we recognise no artificial divisions within Africa. This partnership with the Vista Bank Group demonstrates that African financial institutions can collaborate effectively across linguistic and cultural boundaries to create sophisticated banking solutions that serve our continent’s development priorities,” he said.