Swedfund International’s Post

We are in #Nigeria increasing access to finance for MSMEs Oga! Swedfund International is committed to enhancing sustainable development and reducing poverty in our target markets. #MSMEs #Nigeria

The UN General Assembly set aside June 27th as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSMEs Day) to shine a spotlight on the value that MSMEs provide in the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs). As we prepare for #WorldMSMEDay 2024, we highlight the Mastercard Foundation MSE Recovery Fund, which has given rise to transformation, countering and reversing the adverse effects of #COVID19 on Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. At ASIGMA, we are committed to supporting #MSMEs by unlocking #AccessToFinance and #AccessToMarkets. One such example is through our role in managing the Mastercard Foundation MSE Recovery Fund. See how we are steering financial support to revitalise local businesses and empower entrepreneurs. #MSMEDayUG #YoungAfricaWorks CC. Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSD Uganda) gnuGrid CRB MicroSave Consulting (MSC) Bank of Uganda African Union Joy Mirembe Ssenfuma Peter Atwine

Today, 27th June, marks the day when we celebrate Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day. On this day we take some time to create awareness about the massive contribution of MSMEs to Economic growth, employment, and the attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   At FSD Uganda, we are aware that access to finance is a challenge faced by many MSEs. This is a challenge that we strive to solve under the Mastercard Foundation MSE Recovery Fund. We have learnt from the implementation journey so far. Some of the key lessons are that small loan amounts, short repayment periods and group lending are key factors for achieving a higher credit multiplier.   Read about how financial institutions participating in the Recovery Fund are facilitating increased access to finance using group lending https://lnkd.in/d947CqG9   To all MSMEs out there, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthen and support you through increased financial inclusion as a critical player in the country’s economic development. #MSMEDay #WorldMSMEDay #MSMEDayUG #YoungAfricaWorks

This year, members of the Maris team competed in the 20th edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon. Attracting a diverse group of 25,000 runners from all corners of the world, the event plays a pivotal role in raising funds for the Standard Chartered ‘Futuremakers’ initiative. This initiative is dedicated to tackling inequality and promoting economic inclusion for young people. Congratulations to all who participated. #investinafrica #triplebottomline #impact #Africa #impinv #profitpeopleplanet #Africa #MarisLtd #Maris #InvestingInGrowth #Investing #InvestingInAfrica #InvestmentHoldings #LongTermGrowth #SustainableGrowth #FrontierMarkets #Investors #RemoteBusiness #socialimpact #impinv #FastestGrowingMarkets #PrivateEquity #InvestAfrica

🗣️ Key take-aways from our stage, on the sidelines of the #AfDBAM2024. Mr. Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer, African Guarantee Fund 👇 ☑️African Guarantee Fund has been a key implementing partner of African Development Bank’s "High Fives for Transforming Africa" i.e. Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve the Quality of Life for the people of Africa. ☑️Improving the quality of life for the people of Africa is the largest pillar we collaborate on with AfDB. Through the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program, we are working to unlock $ 3 billion in financing for women SMEs, to fully unleash the potential of women entrepreneurs in Africa. ☑️Under "Light Up & Power Africa", AGF is an implementing partner of the LEAF program, (Leveraging Energy Access Finance). This is a joint program between AfDB & Green Climate Fund which aims to unlock half of a billion of financing to SMEs in the renewable space. ☑️On "Feed Africa", we have allocated 30% of our portfolio to SMEs in the manufacturing sector, mainly in the agricultural sector. ☑️On "Industrialize and Integrate Africa", AGF has supported SMEs involved in cross border transportation and logistics. One of the beneficiaries under AGF’s guarantee portfolio has used the received funding to triple the number of buses in their business. ☑️AGF has built strong partnerships within the ecosystem of financial institutions, mainly commercial banks & microfinance and we continue to seek other avenues to unlock SME financing through different lenders.     #highfive #transformafrica #SMEFinancing #partnershipsforgrowth

A UK Rwanda Plan that Works - How the DFID (now FCDO) Changed African Urban Financing through Demand-Driven Challenge Fund. The M-PESA Success Story. “The M-PESA service was originally created as a pilot funded jointly by Vodafone and the UK Department for International Development [DFID] Financial Deepening Challenge Fund. The pilot ran for over 6 months in Kenya from October 2005 in partnership with Faulu Kenya, a local Microfinance Institution.” Source: https://lnkd.in/dnUfhc2E “While historically confined to medical and academic research, challenge funds – competitive financing for innovative solutions to entrenched problems – have gained traction in the international development field over the last decade.   Pioneered by the UK Department of International Development (DFID), challenge funds have championed transformational disruptive technologies, such as M-Pesa, Kenya’s mobile money transfer service. The electronic payment system, which allows users to withdraw, deposit and transfer cash through their mobile phones, started as a pilot project funded by DFID’s Financial Deepening Challenge Fund. Today, more than two thirds of Kenyans use the channel, and the innovation has changed the scope of financial inclusion programs globally.” Source: https://lnkd.in/dmK3DG8P

🙌 Great news for the FEFISOL II fund! SIDI (Solidarité Internationale pour le Développement et l'Investissement) is very pleased to announce that USAID and Prosper Africa have approved a grant in first-loss capital to the #FEFISOL II fund to help mitigate its foreign exchange risk on its African local currency portfolio. FEFISOL II is the investment fund backed by SIDI (Solidarité Internationale pour le Développement et l'Investissement) et Alterfin. Managed by Inpulse Investment Manager, FEFISOL II is dedicated to the financing of African rural microfinance institutions and agricultural entities sourcing from smallholder farmers in #Africa.   ✔️ FEFISOL II is a highly additional fund focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, targeting the poorest and most unequal regions, often deemed too risky by traditional investors. It aims to support vulnerable populations, particularly women and rural inhabitants, by financing #microfinance institutions to enhance financial inclusion, reduce poverty, and generate employment. The fund also supports small agricultural entities to strengthen agricultural value chains and improve food security. FEFISOL II offers flexible loan products to meet diverse financial needs and provides technical assistance to enhance organizational capacities and support their social missions.   ✔️ This grant provided by USAID and Prosper Africa will allow the fund to further develop its microfinance portfolio in Africa and support FEFISOL II in its efforts to raise capital for the third and last #closing, targeting to reach a size of €30 million. With this grant, USAID, Prosper Africa, and FEFISOL II aim to enhance trade, investment, and the business environment across the African continent by strengthening agricultural value chains, creating rural employment, increasing local value-added markets, reducing climate change vulnerability, and ultimately contributing to the continent’s socially sustainable economic growth.   🤝 USAID and Prosper Africa’s contribution complements other blending mechanisms secured by the fund in 2023 with U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Aceli Africa Program. Given the amplification and overlapping of risks in Africa, it is crucial to rely on such risk-sharing mechanism for a fund dedicated to financing rural microfinance and smallholder farmer organizations.   👉 More news on SIDI and FEFISOL II : www.sidi.fr/en  #impactinvesting #socialimpact #ruraldevelopment #agriculturefinance  

My CEO is discussing #DoingBusinessinAfrica next week.

We salute the efforts of organisations taking #bigbets on entrepreneurs trying to make a difference in Africa. We recommend these funding opportunities provided by the Mastercard Foundation and FCDO Services Propcom 1. Apply for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office-funded Propcom Climate-Smart Agriculture Capital Assets Grant Facility. Click the link below for more information on the call for proposals and how to apply 👇 https://lnkd.in/djtdMdhV 2. The Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity has launched an Agribusiness Challenge Fund to provide SMEs across Sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to receive financial and technical support to scale their businesses. The Agribusiness Challenge Fund is calling for proposals from SMEs in the agriculture sector that can create sustainable employment opportunities for young women and men, young persons with disabilities, and refugee youth. Learn more about how to apply here: https://ow.ly/sGIs50Rf9W1 #bigbets #SDGs #Nigeria #Africa #Propcom #MastercardFoundation

AFSIC - Investing in Africa 2024 welcomes Africa Eats on board as a sponsor. Africa Eats is an investment company lowering hunger and poverty across Africa by investing in profitable, for-profit SMEs building the food/ag supply chain. A spin-off of Fledge, the portfolio has been growing at at a 50% CAGR over the last decade, pulling millions of subsistence farmers out of poverty while simultaneously growing value for investors faster than a VC or PE fund.