Microfinance institutions and borrowers in East Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far spared Africa in terms of reported cases and casualties, yet the lockdowns in place have significantly hurt African economies.
Africa
geo/africa
Why More Women Should Take on Traditionally Male Jobs
Women in Africa are more likely to be in the labor force than women in other regions. But female-owned businesses typically operate in more crowded markets, they have fewer employees, lower average sales, and less value-added. New research shows that female entrepreneurs can build larger and more profitable companies when they operate in male-dominated sectors. Meet some of these African women who are breaking the mold and venturing into construction and manufacturing.
Visa makes case for Fintech players in Africa
Traditional players like Visa Inc are racing to create strategic commercial partnerships with rising and potential Fintech companies. Sunday Times’ Julius Bizimungu talked to Otto Williams, the Head of Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures at Visa to discuss the company’s position when it comes to financial technology and their latest work in Africa. Williams was in Kigali to take part in GSMA Mobile 360 Africa conference.
Member News: Access Bank has concluded the first phase of a Facebook programme to empower women in SMEs
Member News: Access Bank, in partnership with She Leads Africa, has concluded the first phase of a Facebook programme aimed at empowering women in SMEs on how to leverage digital platforms to drive growth in their businesses. The training, aimed at scaling up the skills of small business owners to take advantage of the captive market on social media platforms in Nigeria and beyond, kicked off in the month of June and has held in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu and Ibadan with ov
Members Only Webinar - How to Build Successful Real and Financial Sector Partnerships for SME Financing
Tech companies, logistics firms, commodities traders or even Fast-Moving Consumer Goods distributors are increasingly moving into the SME finance space. Armed with substantial data resources and analytical skills, real sector firms are becoming a force to be reckoned with. How can traditional financial institutions partner with real sector firms to provide SME financing with lower risk and greater accuracy?
Survey Results: Savings and Retail Banking in Africa
Based on a survey of 34 WSBI Africa institutions in 2018, the 50-page report by WSBI’s Scale2Save Programme, a partnership between WSBI and Mastercard Foundation, finds that member banks offer a variety of transaction and savings accounts as part of their drive to attract and satisfy customers. But it also found their product and service mix still falls short of customer needs. That shortfall could decrease account activity and hamper take-up by potential customers. If this persists, banks surveyed could face weak financial performances.
Video: IFC Innovation in Africa
From supporting sustainable agriculture in Burkina Faso to tech start-ups in Kenya, here’s a snippet of IFC's work across Africa.
Member News: OPIC Provides Financing to Solar Energy Transformation Fund
SME Finance Forum member Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, has provided initial financing to SunFunder’s $85 million Solar Energy Transformation Fund which supports businesses providing solar solutions to some of the millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and India who lack access to electricity.
Scaling Digital Finance & Commerce Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa
The conference is an intimate gathering of 100-125 executives from the financial services, telecom, retail, investment and tech industries, the focus is on finding innovative and scalable solutions to promote the digitization of the African continent.
Finding New Ways to Lend More to Health SMEs in Africa
“It’s one thing to offer universal healthcare to your citizens. But the next question is ‘okay, where can I go,’” said Bart Schaap, Chief Financial Officer at Medical Credit Fund (MCF). The region suffers from a dearth of healthcare facilities, especially ones that provide quality care. For Schaap, the solution is obvious: “If you want to address the great need in Africa for increased capacity—for doctors, beds, facilities—and greater quality in healthcare, you need to provide businesses with funding opportunities and operational advice. You need to look at the supply side.”