AfDB Expands Results-Based Financing Push Across Southern Africa to Boost Accountability

The event focused on scaling up the use of RBF — a financing approach that links disbursement of funds directly to verified development results rather than inputs or activities.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is accelerating the rollout of its Results-Based Financing (RBF) model across Southern Africa, aiming to strengthen accountability, improve public service delivery, and build a robust pipeline of high-impact development projects in the region.

The initiative gained momentum following a three-day regional workshop held in Pretoria, which brought together government officials, Bank specialists, and sector experts from South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and Botswana. The event focused on scaling up the use of RBF — a financing approach that links disbursement of funds directly to verified development results rather than inputs or activities.

Shifting Focus from Spending to Results

Unlike traditional financing models, RBF ensures that funds are released only after agreed outcomes are independently verified. This results-driven approach is designed to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure that public investments deliver tangible benefits.

"Across the region, there is growing demand for financing approaches that strengthen accountability and ensure public resources translate into measurable and sustainable outcomes," said Moono Mupotola, AfDB Deputy Director General for Southern Africa. "Southern Africa is particularly well positioned to embrace results-based financing."

Since its adoption in 2017, the RBF instrument has been deployed across 22 operations in 12 countries, demonstrating strong potential to enhance governance and deliver value for money. A 2024 independent evaluation подтвердил its strategic relevance, while also highlighting the need to expand technical expertise and develop a stronger pipeline of RBF-ready projects.

Building Capacity and Project Pipelines

The Pretoria workshop was a direct response to these findings, designed to equip both government counterparts and AfDB teams with the tools needed to design and implement effective RBF programmes.

Participating countries are currently exploring or preparing RBF operations across key sectors, including:

• Energy

• Social services

• Water and sanitation

These sectors are critical for inclusive growth and improving quality of life, making them ideal candidates for performance-based financing models.

The workshop provided hands-on training covering the full lifecycle of RBF projects — from policy design to implementation and evaluation. Key focus areas included:

• Results framework development

• Fiduciary and financial management requirements

• Environmental and social safeguards

• Disbursement mechanisms linked to verified outcomes

• Lessons learned from ongoing RBF operations

From Theory to Action

A key feature of the workshop was a series of targeted "clinics" on the final day, where participants worked collaboratively to identify and shape concrete project pipelines.

These sessions brought together sector specialists and country programme officers to move beyond theory and begin structuring real-world RBF initiatives tailored to national priorities.

"Participants leave with a clearer understanding of how and when to apply the RBF instrument, a preliminary pipeline ready for further development, and stronger regional collaboration," said Daouda Konipo, Principal Strategy and Policy Officer at AfDB.

Part of a Continent-Wide Strategy

The Pretoria workshop marks the final stop in a broader series of regional RBF capacity-building sessions conducted across Africa during 2025–2026. Previous workshops were held in Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, reflecting the Bank's continent-wide push to scale up results-based financing.

The initiative is being led by the AfDB's Strategy and Operational Policy Department, in collaboration with key internal units responsible for fiduciary oversight, safeguards, development impact, and disbursement — ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive approach.

Driving Better Development Outcomes

As African countries face increasing pressure to maximise the impact of limited public resources, RBF is emerging as a powerful tool to ensure that investments deliver measurable and lasting results.

By tying funding to performance, the model encourages stronger governance, better planning, and improved service delivery — particularly in sectors that directly affect citizens' daily lives.

With growing interest across Southern Africa and a stronger pipeline now in development, the African Development Bank's expanded RBF push signals a shift toward more accountable, results-driven development financing across the continent.