Mizuho Bank has opened a branch in Johannesburg and hired Moses Singo to head it up.

Singo – an experienced trade finance banker – joins from Rand Merchant Bank, where he was previously head of trade finance, sales for Africa and India. His title with the Japanese bank is senior director – global trade finance, Sub-Saharan Africa.

He is responsible for all trade products, including Mizuho’s ECA business in Sub Saharan Africa, and its relationships with multilaterals such as MIGA.

The new office is part of Mizuho’s global trade finance business, Emea. In a recent meeting with GTR in Tokyo, senior officials at the bank said they were keen to capitalise on fast-growing African markets and that this appointment was key to their strategy to do so.