The tenth edition of the Africa Financial Services Investment Conference (AFSIC) will promote investing in the continent with presentations on trends in environmental protection and sectors such as agriculture and financial technology (fintech). In addition to country-specific investment and networking meetings, the agenda includes sessions titled: (1) Banking in Africa – for
Tag: microfinance
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Seedstars Accepting Applications from Fintechs Offering “Financial Innovations for Women Affected by Migration” Through July 30
Seedstars, a Switzerland-based investment and education firm, is accepting applications from financial technology (fintech) startups looking to scale up their services to women in Africa and Asia who have migrated from their homes or whose family members have done so. Seedstars is offering this support through its Financial Innovations for Women Affected by Migration (FIWAM) programme, which includes
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global SME Finance Forum; September 12-14, 2023; Mumbai, India
The ninth iteration of this event will explore financial services providers’ delivery of digital services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), leveraging samples from India and abroad. The forum will cover topics – particularly “ecosystems” – relating to digital finance, international
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Worth Your Weight: Experimental Evidence on the Benefits of Obesity in Low-income Countries,” by Elise Macchi
This paper examines how the perception of obesity as a symbol of wealth can yield financial benefits to overweight people in southern Uganda. The author applied computer software to photos of 34 test subjects to create
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oxus Kyrgyzstan Borrowing $1.6m from Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation for Microfinance Lending
Oxus Kyrgyzstan, one of three microfinance institution (MFI) affiliates of the France-based Oxus Development Network, recently borrowed local currency approximately equivalent to USD 1.6 million from Grameen Credit Agricole (GCA) Foundation, which has offices in France and Luxembourg. Like its partner MFIs in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, Oxus Kyrgyzstan seeks to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FSPs in Ecuador to Evaluate Role of Bias in Financial Access for Women-led MSMEs with Support from IDB Invest, RFD
Red de Instituciones Financieras de Desarrollo (RFD), a network of 53 banks, cooperatives and nonprofit financial services providers (FSPs) in Ecuador, recently agreed to partner with IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, to offer RFD members advisory services relating to boosting their financing of female-led micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). RFD will distribute an online survey designed by the IDB Group to address
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Reefy Microfinance Borrows $6.5m from EBRD for Youth-led MSMEs in Egypt
Reefy Microfinance Enterprise Services, an Egypt-based microfinance institution (MFI), recently agreed to accept a loan of EGP 200 million (USD 6.5 million) from the UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The loan is part of EBRD’s
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Determinants of Choice of Credit Source Among Clients of Microfinance Systems in the Upper West Region of Ghana,” by Paul Bata Domanban et al
The authors of this article examined which groups of people in northwestern Ghana were more and less likely to borrow money from microfinance institutions (MFIs). The authors conducted
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: First City Monument Bank of Nigeria Offers Asset Financing Starting at $600
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) of Nigeria has begun offering loans of NGN 500,000 (USD 600) to NGN 3 million (USD 3,600) with terms of one year to four years for businesses to finance purchases of equipment and machinery. FCMB reports that it also may grant customers – in certain circumstances –
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Predictors of Microfinance Sustainability: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh,” by Maeenuddin et al
This article examines the financial sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Bangladesh. Using data from the MIX Market database, the authors develop a
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Mi-Bospo of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borrowing $2.2m from Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation for Microfinance Lending
Microcredit Foundation Mi-Bospo of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently agreed to borrow EUR 2 million (USD 2.2 million) from the Grameen Credit Agricole (GCA) Foundation, which has offices in France and Luxembourg. Mi-Bospo serves 26,000 clients, mostly women who live in rural areas. Its offerings include
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Mind the Gap in Financial Inclusion! Microcredit Institutions Fieldwork in Peru;” by Pilar Lopez-Sancheza, Elena Urquia-Grande
Microfinance providers in Peru carry a combined outstanding loan portfolio equivalent to USD 12.7 billion, serving 5 million borrowers. Dr Lopez-Sancheza and Dr Urquia-Grande conducted a qualitative analysis of these loans based on
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Access Bank Botswana Borrows $20m from OPEC Fund for MSMEs, 30% Earmarked for Women
Access Bank Botswana, a subsidiary of the Nigeria-based Access Bank Group, recently agreed to borrow USD 20 million from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development to on-lend to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with USD 6 million of the total
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Grow to Zero Conference; June 26-27, 2023; London, UK
Themed “Catalysing Finance for Impact,” this event will cover ways of leveraging blended finance, carbon markets and digitisation to enable transition to net-zero emissions and other forms of sustainable development. The agenda features sessions such as: (1) Challenges to 2030: How to Finance
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Satya of India Borrowing $35m from FMO, Finnfund for Microfinance for Rural Women, Youth – Including to Enable Green Transition
Satya MicroCapital, an India-based microfinance institution (MFI), recently borrowed the local-currency equivalent of USD 25 million from the Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) and USD 10 million from Finnfund, a development finance institution controlled by the government of Finland. The funding is intended to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Impact Summit; July 13-14, 2023; Cape Town, South Africa
With a focus on impact investing, this event will explore how to build markets in Africa as well as pipeline opportunities and challenges. The agenda includes sessions such as: (1) Investing in SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] and Start-ups; (2) Systems and Design Thinking for
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credit Bank, FSD Kenya Engaging SACCOs in Effort to Reduce Remittance Costs for Rural Kenyans
The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently announced a pair of programs that will operate in Kenya under the EU’s Platform for Remittances, Investments and Migrants’ Entrepreneurship in Africa (PRIME Africa). In particular, IFAD will fund
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Loans $214m to Sicredi for Solar Panels for Households, SMEs in Brazil
Banco Cooperativo Sicredi, a Brazil-based financial cooperative owned by its 6.5 million members, recently agreed to borrow EUR 200 million (USD 214 million) from the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB). Sicredi plans to use the capital to equip houses and