Skip to content

Trade Finance Instruments, Letters of Credit and Guarantees

Exporters and importers moving goods across African borders regularly lose money on mismatched documentation or poorly structured letters of credit. This course explains documentary credits, bank guarantees, bills of exchange and standby instruments under UCP 600 and URDG 758, so trade finance practitioners can structure transactions that actually get paid without delay or dispute.

Ready to book? Secure your place on this programme.

Register for this course

What you will be able to do

  • Compare documentary credits, collections and open account trade as payment mechanisms.
  • Structure a letter of credit that matches the underlying sales contract precisely.
  • Identify common documentary discrepancies that cause banks to refuse payment.
  • Apply UCP 600 rules when disputes arise over credit terms.
  • Use bank guarantees and standby letters of credit to secure performance and payment.
  • Select the appropriate trade finance instrument for a given counterparty risk profile.

Course outline

  1. 01Payment mechanisms in international trade
  2. 02Documentary credit structures and parties
  3. 03UCP 600 rules and interpretation
  4. 04Common discrepancies and how to avoid them
  5. 05Bank guarantees and demand instruments
  6. 06Standby letters of credit explained
  7. 07URDG 758 and guarantee disputes
  8. 08Matching instruments to counterparty risk

Who should attend

Trade finance officers, import and export managers, treasury staff and finance managers involved in cross border trade transactions.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendarRegister
28 to 30 Sep 2026Lilongwe3US$1,500Closed
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026Blantyre3US$1,500Register
30 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Mozambique3US$1,500Register
5 to 7 Oct 2026Nairobi3US$1,500Register
6 to 8 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500Register
7 to 9 Oct 2026Kigali3US$1,500Register
12 to 14 Oct 2026Kampala3US$1,500Register
13 to 15 Oct 2026Accra3US$1,500Register
14 to 16 Oct 2026Lagos3US$1,500Register
19 to 21 Oct 2026Cairo3US$1,500Register
20 to 22 Oct 2026Mauritius3US$1,500Register
21 to 23 Oct 2026Dubai3US$1,500Register
26 to 28 Oct 2026Online3US$900Register
18 to 20 Nov 2026Johannesburg3R13,000Register
23 to 25 Nov 2026Cape Town3R13,000Register
24 to 26 Nov 2026Durban3R13,000Register
25 to 27 Nov 2026Pretoria3R13,000Register
30 Nov to 2 Dec 2026Windhoek3US$1,500Register
1 to 3 Dec 2026Gaborone3US$1,500Register
2 to 4 Dec 2026Maseru3US$1,500Register
7 to 9 Dec 2026Mbabane3US$1,500Register
8 to 10 Dec 2026Lusaka3US$1,500Register
9 to 11 Dec 2026Harare3US$1,500Register

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

Related courses in Tax, Treasury and Banking

Tax, Treasury and Banking

Value Added Tax Compliance and Control

Most assessments arise from ordinary administration: input tax claimed without a valid tax invoice, output tax missed on a disposal...

Next session
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026
Venue
Harare
3 day programme
FromR13,000
Tax, Treasury and Banking

Payroll Taxes and Employees Tax Administration

Payroll sits where employment law, benefits and tax collection meet, and errors repeat every month until someone finds them.

Next session
29 to 30 Sep 2026
Venue
Dubai
2 day programme
FromR10,000
Tax, Treasury and Banking

Corporate Income Tax Fundamentals

Accounting profit and taxable income are rarely the same number, and the difference has to be explained line by line.

Next session
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026
Venue
Mbabane
3 day programme
FromR13,000
See all Tax, Treasury and Banking courses