Standard Bank leads $175 million sustainable finance for Wilderness Holdings

Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank by assets, acted as sole mandated lead arranger, underwriter and sustainability coordinator for a US$175 million syndicated sustainable financing deal with Wilderness Holdings Limited. The five‑year senior secured package includes a US$125 million term facility and a US$50 million revolving credit facility designed to support Wilderness’s conservation and eco‑tourism operations across Africa. Brydone Graham, Deputy Head of Debt Financing Solutions at Standard Bank, said the partnership “supports a business that exemplifies how conservation, community development and commercially resilient growth can coexist.” The financing aligns with Wilderness’s model, where most operating expenditure funds eligible green and social activities such as biodiversity conservation, eco‑tourism asset operation, land preservation and socio‑economic empowerment. Chief Executive Officer Keith Vincent added that the structure “provides us with the flexibility and certainty required to support our long‑term strategy.” Impact reporting will track land under conservation and the economic value generated through these activities.