What is trade finance?
Investec trade finance facilitates all your cross-border trade requirements, efficiently moving your goods while mitigating risk. Our international team of experts offer an innovative and unique blend of documentary, open account and logistics services to develop bespoke trade finance solutions.
Import and trade finance
for South African businesses
Access an integrated suite of specialist trade services encompassing import logistics and finance for foreign or locally procured goods, designed to help you purchase stock on repayment terms aligned with your cash flow cycle.
International trade finance
for corporates
Access an integrated suite of specialist trade services encompassing import logistics and finance for foreign or locally procured goods, designed to help you purchase stock on repayment terms aligned with your cash flow cycle.
Value adding services

Trade funding
Finance your stock purchase and logistics costs with trade credit that is optimised to your business’ cashflow and working
capital cycle. Covers all pre-delivery costs on post-delivery terms.

Documentary finance
Backed by the full range of documentary trade finance instruments including import documentary letter of
credit (LC), bills of exchange, bank guarantees, bills of lading, documentary collections and trust receipts.

Risk management
We minimise risk for both buyers and sellers through stringent due diligence, risk mitigation and assessment,
and regulatory compliance, as well as through hedging of foreign exchange risk, including duty, and freight risk.

Logistics and import finance
Take advantage of a fully integrated import solution to handle the end-to-end inbound supply chain of financing goods and logistics, forex, marine insurance, and freight forwarding and clearing, including real time tracking, with a consolidated
landed cost per item on delivery.
Trading internationally?
Get in touch with a team of experts
One point of contact for your inbound supply chain
For importers, we are more than just import finance; we also facilitate order tracking, hedging of foreign exchange rate, and management of the import logistics, including the provision of a consolidated total landed rand cost per item on delivery. Providing you with real time notifications on the status of your shipments, the ability to leverage our economies of scale, optimised lead times and a fully managed service for improved decision making.
Your benefits
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Reduce risk around payment and delivery of your goods
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Improve freight efficiency for optimised, reliable lead times
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Optimise your working capital and liquidity cycle to focus on growth
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Gain an accurate upfront understanding of costs and margin
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A single point of contact across your international supply chain
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Leverage improved relations and payment terms between merchants
Import solutions unpacked
We think about your business like you do
We appreciate that your business is a lot more than a set of numbers and financial statements. We also know that business can be complicated and that funding your trade cycle can have a very real impact on your operations. Our value is that we can provide the right funding at the right time, allowing you to capitalise on opportunities and optimise your ability to grow profits.
Let's talk
Discover how we can simplify and improve your global trade transactions to optimise your cash flow and lower your supply chain risks.