Standard Bank supports Motus' growth with £150m facility

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Motus is a multi-national provider of automotive mobility solutions and vehicle products and services, with a leading market presence in South Africa as well as a selected international offering in the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Southern and East Africa.

The bank acted in its capacity as joint initial mandated lead arranger, bookrunner and sustainability co-ordinator to play a leading role in the international syndication to refinance and upsize Motus’ existing multi-currency syndicated loan facility.

The facility incorporates all material aspects of the Loan Market Association’s sustainability linkedlLoan principles to allow the facility to be classified as a sustainability-linked facility once sustainability performance targets are finalised by November 2024, further aligning to Motus’ ESG commitments.

“This latest transaction is a testament to Standard Bank’s capability in international lending syndications to raise hard currency loan funding for our clients to support them in their growth ambitions within and beyond the African continent,” said Chanel Boxshall-Smith, vice president, distribution and loan syndication-investment banking, Standard Bank.

Internationalisation and diversification are the key strategic growth measures to promote sustainable growth for Motus. This facility will support Motus’ ambition to increase EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) contribution from international operations in excess of 35%.

“Over the years, we’ve worked with Motus to achieve important milestones in its business, most notably, its unbundling from Imperial in 2018 and arranging their first ZAR-based sustainability-linked syndicated loan funding in the South African automotive sector in 2022. This transaction deepens Standard Bank’s relationship as a trusted partner to Motus,” said Venorthy Naidoo, executive at Standard Bank Corporate Investment Banking.