by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Agents for Impact: Well-equipped for Future Business Development

Agents for Impact GmbH (AFI), which acts as an intermediary be­tween investors and the world of impact investing, successfully has won FS Invest Holding as an investor. With an eye on the long-term, as of August 2022, FS Invest took a 75-percent stake in our consulting bou­tique, which is focused on sustain­ability, impact investing and financial inclusion.

FS Invest is part of the Helmig family’s group of companies, which is already active in sev­eral other holdings in the financial sector, in­cluding through its ATON Group.

“We are pleased to have an experienced investor at our side that will carry Agents for Impact into the future and enable us to expand our business,” says Dr Andrij Fetsun, AFI’s CEO (pictured).

About AFI

AFI was founded in 2018 by Dr Fetsun and Ms Edda Schröder with the purpose of: (1) increasing impact investments in emerging and developing markets by building bridges between impact investors and the world of impact investing in order to enable financial inclu­sion for under­served populations across the world; and (2) contri­buting to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the help of the firm’s proprietary SDG rating system, the Agents for Impact Sustainability Alignment Rating (AFISAR©) Tool.

AFISAR© helps microfinance institutions (MFIs) leverage the growing importance of strong sus­tainability performance vis-à?vis international investors, particularly im­pact investors. The rating tool analyses an MFI’s operations (at both the institu­tional and portfolio levels) based on a compre­hensive set of

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Agents for Impact Sustainability Alignment Rating (AFISAR©): Applying a Gender-smart Approach in the Microfinance Sector

UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, “Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls,” is not only a standalone goal but is inextricably linked to the other SDGs. Though moving toward gender equality has long been associated with achieving social or political goals, its proven economic benefits remain under-appreciated. Accord­ing to the World Bank’s 2021 Global Findex Database, more than 1 billion women worldwide still lack access to the financial system. In fact, wo­men make up the largest unbanked population in the world, with more than 70 percent of woman-owned small and medium-sized enterprises estimated to have inadequate or no access to financial services. The financial gap just for women-owned formal small businesses is estimated to be USD 300 billion.

In the absence of financial tools, women face difficulty generating income, boosting savings, growing businesses and improving the living conditions of their families. If the am­bitious targets set within the SDGs are to be achieved, then a concerted effort is required to

by Sheen Gupta -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BII Investing $75m in MSME Funders via Symbiotics to Enable “Green” Projects in Africa, Asia

British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, recently subscribed to a bond issuance arranged by Switzerland-based Symbiotics in the amount of USD 75 million to be invested in 10 to 15 funders of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia to boost “small-scale green projects and businesses.” To support the investments, BII has committed USD 520,000 in technical assistance for the retail lenders to help their clients invest in assets such as “rooftop solar panels, sustainable agriculture, energy-efficient appliances” and others. The program spans

by Saulius Ramanauskas -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Symbiotics Invests $7.5m in Evocabank of Armenia for MSMEs

Evocabank of Armenia recently gained access to USD 7.5 million from Switzerland-based Symbiotics to on-lend to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with goals including to boost market competition and job creation. Symbiotics sourced the funds from

by Vighnesh Avadhanam -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Symbiotics to Place $105m in Debt for Pensioenfonds Detailhandel in Microfinance, SME Finance in Emerging Markets

Symbiotics, a Switzerland-based investor, recently announced that Pensioenfonds Detailhandel, an administrator of pensions for Dutch retail workers, has selected the firm to manage a private debt fund with a volume of EUR 100 million (USD 105 million) with the aim of enabling progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The portfolio will focus on investing local currency to support

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Agents for Impact: Driving Positive Impact… Together!

Founded in 2018, we are a Germany-based impact investing company. Agents for Impact (AFI) offers pre­mium impact invest­ment solutions, sustainability consul­ting and impact measurement services tailor-made for clients in the sustainable finance industry.

We provide our partners with a combination of expertise and experience across the following three pillars: RISK – RATING – RESEARCH.

We have Agents spread across Africa, India, South­east Asia, Central Asia and Europe, each with in-depth technical expertise and located in close geographical proximity to our key partners and target countries to ensure optimal support.

We pride ourselves on being the partner of choice for impact investors and financial services pro­viders (FSPs) seeking innovation and cooperation. Together with these partners, we pursue positive impact, contributing

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: How Do We Build the Right Skills for a Sustainable Future?

There is no doubt that sustainability considerations recently have found their way into many areas of our lives. The global Fridays for Future movement is just one of several calls to action to significantly reduce carbon emissions and make the world more climate-resilient and socially equitable – and thus a better place to live. The adoption of the Paris Agree­ment and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are Sustainable World Academydriving demand for low-carbon goods and services around the world. Thus, the sustainability wave has spilled over into the real economy and the finan­cial sector, forcing stakeholders to rethink legacy business models and practices. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) con­sidera­tions, being the main pillars for sustainability, have become key drivers for investment and other business decisions, as sustain­ability-related risks (e.g. climate change) have started to gain wide recognition.

The COVID-19 pandemic: A (final) push for sustainability?

The fragility of unsustainable business models and lack of practices for a resilient and robust economy – as well as survivability – became

by Jessica McLeod -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Via Atlas, CGAP Begins Releasing Results from Biweekly “Pulse” Survey of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) on COVID-19 Impact

In an effort to understand the needs of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US-based NGO CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) recently launched a biweekly survey called the “Global Pulse Survey of Microfinance Institutions.” CGAP is releasing the results on the Atlas data platform, which is a service of Italy-based MFR (MicroFinanza Rating), in the form of 13 charts. These charts can be manipulated to group the data by

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Trustco of Namibia Earns Higher Rating by Extending Debt Term, Supporting Interests in Finance, Education, Real Estate, Mining

Namibia-based Trustco Group Holdings, whose members include the Institute for Open Learning (IOL), Trustco Finance, Trustco Bank, Trustco Life, Trustco Insurance and Trustco Resources, recently negotiated a term extension with its lender group. Subsequently, Mauritius-based GCR Ratings increased Trustco Group’s financial rating to

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: European Microfinance Week Opens: Microfinance and Environment Action Group Celebrates Rollout of Solar Products in Central America, Ethiopia, Philippines; Turns Eye to Scaling Up

On European Microfinance Week 2017the opening day of European Microfinance Week, the European Microfinance Platform’s (e-MFP’s) Microfinance and Environment Action Group met to review its successes and make plans for the next two years.

Carla Palomares of ADA, the Luxembourgish nonprofit formerly known as Appui au Développement Autonome, explained her organization’s work with the 60-member Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI) and Red Centroamericana y del Caribe de Microfinanzas (REDCAMIF), a network of networks serving 139 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Dominican Republic and six Central American countries. ADA helped MCPI develop a team dedicated to supporting its member MFIs in offering loans for clients to buy solar lamps. MCPI is now working with six additional MFIs to roll out solar loans. The program with REDCAMIF is similar, but involves microleasing for agricultural equipment and support regarding environmentally sustainable farming practices as well as

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroFinanza Rating Issues 27 Rating Updates, New Reports for Microfinance Institutions in the Philippines, Latin America

During October 2017, MicroFinanza Rating (MFR) issued a Micro­finance Institutional Rating (MIR) of BB with a Stable outlook to Rangtay sa Pagrang-ay Microfinance of the Philippines. MFR also updated the MIRs of three affiliates of US-based Pro Mujer Incor­porated: Pro Mujer Argentina’s was confirmed at BB+ with a Positive outlook; Pro Mujer Nicaragua’s was confirmed at BBB+ with a Stable outlook; and Pro Mujer Mexico’s was upgraded

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroFinanza Rating Issues 5 Institutional, Social Credentials to Microfinance Institutions in Ecuador, Mexico, Palestine, Rwanda

Italy’s MicroFinanza Rating (MFR) issued two microfinance institutional ratings during September. Palestine’s Asala Company for Credit and Development was assigned a grade of BB+ with a “stable” outlook, and Inkunga Finance of Rwanda was assigned a grade of

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroFinanza Rating Issues 13 Institutional, Social, Client-protection Credentials to Microfinance Institutions in Albania, Morocco, Namibia, Asia, Latin America

During July and August, Italy’s MicroFinanza Rating (MFR) issued five microfinance institutional ratings. Morocco’s Attadamoune Micro-Finance was assigned the grade B+ with a stable outlook. Ecuador’s Fundación Espoir and Albania’s FED Invest both earned grades of BB with stable outlooks. Two institutions earned grades of

by Matthew ONeill -

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Offshore Financial Centers for Impact Investing; Financial Inclusion in 2025; Microfinance in India

“Offshore Financial Centers for Financial Inclusion: A Marriage of Convenience;” by Sam Mendelson and Daniel Rozas; published by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) at Accion; June 2017; 14 pages; available at:
http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/865-offshore-financial-centers-for-financial-inclusion

This paper explores the use of offshore financial centers (OFCs) based on interviews with 13 equity impact investors.

by Matthew ONeill -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microloan Delinquencies Rise from 0.5% to 11% Following Demonetization in India

India Ratings, a subsidiary of US-based Fitch Group, recently announced that its “0+ days delinquency index” increased from 0.45 percent to 10.82 percent in the four months following November 2016 and thus concluded that the Indian government’s demonetization had a significant negative effect on microlenders [1].

by Sascha Strobl -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroFinanza Rating Issues 8 Institutional, Social, Client-protection Credentials to Microfinance Institutions in Asia, Latin America

During June, Italy’s MicroFinanza Rating (MFR) issued four microfinance institutional ratings. Ecuador’s Insotec earned a rating of BBB with a stable outlook.

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Realizing Potential and Minimizing Risk through Client Protection and Developing Financial Capability in Southeast Asia

ABanking With the Poor Network diverse set of panelists at this session of the Mekong Financial Inclusion Forum agreed that providing financial education can be expensive and yet often fails to produce measurable outcomes. Jayshree Venkatesan, a financial inclusion consultant, stated that “results from financial literacy campaigns are at best mixed.” Shane Nichols, Program Director for Good Return, said that the rise of randomized controlled trials has helped his organization discover that although “we used to do pre- and post-tests showing people gained knowledge…sustained behavior-change was virtually non-existent.”

Ms. Venkatesan explained that “there are a number of things that limit these efforts. They cost a lot of money. Most of these tend to be

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Evolving Regulations Obscure the Future of Microfinance in Myanmar

Paul European Microfinance PlatformLuchtenburg, who serves as coordinator for the UN Capital Development Fund in Myanmar, described several of the contrasts in the microfinance industry in Myanmar at European Microfinance Week Thursday. Five years into civilian rule, Mr Luchtenburg says “I’ve never seen a government work so hard. You go to a meeting and the results go up the leadership chain that night…. There’s this rapid push for development.” To accept deposits, institutions must pay at least 10 percent per year and be deemed “sustainable” by the government. However, lending rates are capped at 2.5 percent per month, a level that all of the panelists agreed was too low, especially for serving rural areas. Rommel Caringal, the CEO of the local unit of US-based VisionFund, said, “The inconsistency is causing big problems, but