This report examines the sustainable finance ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including the capabilities of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. The objectives were
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MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), Sowit Deliver Agritech to Farmers in Morocco
Morocco’s Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) recently signed an agreement with Sowit, a provider of agricultural technology (agritech) services, to support farmers in Morocco in increasing their profitability with better data and access to finance. In particular, Sowit will provide farmers in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region with
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Sells 30% Equity Stake in GlobalCorp of Egypt, as Amethis, EBRD, SPE Capital Acquire Controlling Stake
A group of three entities recently acquired majority control of GlobalCorp for Financial Services, an Egyptian provider of leasing and factoring services to small and large enterprises. The buyers are
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Scott Nathan Takes Helm as CEO of DFC, Major Funder of Microfinance in Low-, Middle-income Countries
Scott Nathan recently was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which partners with “the private sector in the developing world to improve livelihoods and address global challenges like climate change, pandemic threats and persistent economic disparities.” Mr Nathan has worked in
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Foodics Buys Equity Stake in POSRocket from Sanad Fund for MSME, Linking Providers of Financial, Business Technology to Restaurants in MENA
Foodics, a technology firm serving restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa, recently bought an equity stake of unspecified size in POSRocket, a point-of-sale (POS) platform supporting businesses in the food, beverage and other industries. Foodics purchased the holding from the Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-domiciled investor in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which Sanad had held it through its second equity sub-fund (ESF II). Subsequent to the deal, POSRocket’s customers
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Tagit Developing Mobile App for Advans Microfinance Institutions in Africa, Asia
Advans Group, a Luxembourg-based microfinance organization with operations in nine low- and middle-income countries, recently partnered with Tagit, a Singapore-based mobile technology company, to develop a mobile banking application for Advans customers. The app will be based on
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad, Aavishkaar, Uncovered Participate in $4m Equity Raise by Sky.Garden of Kenya to Expand Its Digital Marketplace to Middle East, North Africa
The Luxembourg-domiciled Sanad Fund for MSME recently led a Series A investment in Sky.Garden, a Kenya-based e-commerce platform serving 15,000 micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Sky.Garden plans to use the fresh USD 4 million to expand into
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Lends $3m to Microfund for Women (MFW) for Entrepreneurs in Jordan
The European Investment Bank (EIB), an institution of the EU, recently lent EUR 2.7 million (USD 3.3 million) to Microfund for Women (MFW) to be on-lent for microenterprise in Jordan. These loans are intended to support 9,100 people, 90 percent of whom are women, whose livelihoods have been threatened by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. EIB drew the funds from the Southern Neighborhood Microfinance
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Jordan Trade Facilities Company Borrows $5m for MSMEs from Sanad Fund
Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-based investor in organizations serving micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recently agreed to loan the equivalent of USD 5 million in Jordanian dinar to the Jordan Trade Facilities Company (JoTF). The investment is intended to
SPECIAL REPORT: Resilience Among Microfinance Institutions? “Region of Crisis” Relatively Stable; “Moratorium Veil” Yet to Lift
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part of the opening day of European Microfinance Week, Mohammed Khaled of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation stated that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the microfinance sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) so far have not been as bad as was feared earlier in 2020. Most of the large microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the region have maintained 30-day portfolio-at-risk (PAR) ratios below 4 percent. Mr Khaled said, “Among leading MFIs, PAR did not rise as high as expected. We thought [it might rise to] 10 percent to 20 percent, but many MFIs have kept things under control.” Part of the reason for this, he believes is that “this is
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Al Hussein Fund, Sanad Fund for MSME Offer Online Curriculum for Young Owners of Small Businesses in MENA
The Jordan-based, nonprofit Al Hussein Fund for Excellence and the Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-domiciled investor in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recently partnered to give young business owners in the Middle East and North Africa no-cost access to a course called “How to Start and Manage a Successful Business.” The course, which was delivered in Arabic on the Edraak online education platform, “comprises
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Technical Assistance Facility, Egyptian Credit Bureau I-Score Seek to Boost Finance for Farmers; Agricultural Micro-, Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Egypt
The Sanad Technical Assistance Facility, which is affiliated with the Luxembourg-domiciled Sanad Fund for MSME (Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise), has collaborated with the Egyptian Credit Bureau, also known as I-Score, to build an Agricultural Credit Evaluation and Risk Assessment System (ACERS). I-Score will implement this “web-based credit assessment and scoring tool,” with the goal of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Loans $10m to Fondation Arrawaj de la Finance Inclusive of Morocco
The Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-domiciled investor in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recently issued a loan of USD 10 million to Fondation Arrawaj de la Finance Inclusive, a Moroccan microfinance institution
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation Loans $1.65m to Kreditimi Rural i Kosoves (KRK) for Microfinance in Kosovo
Kreditimi Rural i Kosoves (KRK), a microlender in Kosovo, recently borrowed EUR 1.5 million (USD 1.65 million)
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation Loans $1.7m to EFC Zambia, Provider of Housing, Microenterprise Loans
The Grameen Credit Agricole (GCA) Foundation, whose head office is in Luxembourg, has loaned local currency approximately equivalent to USD 1.7 million to Entrepreneur Financial Centre (EFC) Zambia, a microfinance institution offering loans and savings services, mainly in urban areas. Founded in 1996, the microbank offers loans for working capital, invoice
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 2nd African Islamic Fintech Summit; November 29 – 30, 2019; Dakar, Senegal
Focusing on “African financial inclusion in the digital era,” this event is a continuation of a similar summit held in Tunisia in March 2019. The event in Dakar will address the topics of Islamic finance, financial technology (fintech) and economic empowerment, in particular as they relate to West Africa.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Launches Equity Sub-Fund II with $23m from BMZ, EU to Invest in Financial Inclusion, Job Creation in Middle East, North Africa
The Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-domiciled investor in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recently launched its Equity Sub-Fund (ESF) II, to invest in financial intermediaries with the aim of increasing financial inclusion and job creation in the Middle East and North Africa. The sub-fund’s mandate includes
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanad Fund for MSME Loans $500k in Local Currency to Vitas Egypt for Microfinance
Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-based investment vehicle, recently loaned the equivalent of USD 500,000 in local currency to Vitas Egypt, a microfinance institution (MFI) that was launched in 2018. The MFI is a