I&m Bank Picks Surecomp to Digitise Trade Finance Ops

In Short

I&M Bank is upgrading its trade finance systems with Surecomp software. The rollout starts in Kenya and is expected to expand across more I&M Group markets.

What Happened

I&M Bank, part of the I&M Bank group, said it is working with Surecomp to modernise its trade finance operations.

Trade finance is the set of bank services that help companies import and export goods, for example letters of credit and guarantees. These processes often involve multiple checks, documents, and approvals.

The bank will deploy Surecomp’s DOKA-NG for back-office processing, meaning the internal workflow that handles trade transactions. It will also use RIVO as a front-end connection layer, meaning the customer-facing and integration layer that links users, channels, and systems.

I&M said the goal is an integrated digital trade finance platform, starting in Kenya, then expanding to Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Bank One in Mauritius.

Why It Matters

Trade finance is still paper-heavy at many banks. That can slow approvals and create errors when teams move documents between branches, countries, and counterparties.

A single digital platform can reduce manual work and help standardise controls across markets. For customers, that usually means faster turnaround times and clearer tracking of where a transaction is in the process.

For I&M Group, the project is also about capacity. The bank said the deployment is meant to support growing trade volumes by bringing different stages of the trade finance journey into one system.

This kind of upgrade is part of a wider trend in African banking, where institutions are investing in workflow automation and better integrations to serve cross-border business customers more efficiently.