Retail Capital, a South African lender to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), recently raised ZAR 150 million (USD 10 million) in debt capital from Triodos Investment Management, a Dutch impact investor. Retail Capital issues collateral-free loans to retailers, in amounts based on their monthly cash flow. Since it was established in 2011, Retail Capital has served
MEDIA OF THE MONTH: 170k Women in Mexico, Peru Leveraging $70m in Microfinance via Banco Compartamos, Citi, DFC, JICA
This 4-minute video describes a partnership among the Mexican microfinance institution Banco Compartamos, Citi, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the US International Development Corporation to fund 170,000 female entrepreneurs in Mexico and Peru.
This post is part of an occasional series from MicroCapital pointing you to great media on microfinance and other forms of impact investing. Enjoy!
Do you know that MicroCapital publishes the MicroCapital Monitor newspaper each month? Find out more at https://www.microcapital.org/products-page/.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BMZ, KfW Creating Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa) with Goals Including to Enable Diaspora Investments via Crowdfunding
Two German institutions, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and KfW, which was formerly known as Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, are launching a foundation called Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa). The foundation has EUR 49 million (USD 55.2 million) to donate in support of
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EasyCash Launches Mobile Payment, Wallet Solutions for Consumers, Merchants in Egypt
The Egyptian firm EasyCash recently launched its eponymous digital wallet and mobile payment solution for both Android and iOS devices. EasyCash partnered with Wallet Factory, a financial technology (fintech) firm based in Poland, to develop the mobile applications, which use
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Simbatu Begins Selling Solar Energy Products in Nigeria
Simbatu, a retailer of solar equipment in Nigeria, recently launched its website, offering a range of equipment such as solar panels, hot water heaters, water pumps, power inverters and batteries. Pricing ranges from NGN 18,000 (USD 44) to NGN 338,000 (USD 820). Over time, the firm plans to add products powered by wind, water and biomass.
Daniel Andem, the Sweden-based founder of Simbatu, told MicroCapital that
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: La Fructueuse of Togo Rolls Out Dzinyefa, Connecting Microfinance Accounts to Flooz, T-Money Mobile Money Services
La Fructueuse, a cooperative microfinance institution (MFI) located in the Togolese city of Lomé, recently established a service allowing its customers to use mobile phones to access funds and information about their accounts. The new service, which is called Dzinyefa, allows users to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ATB Secures $23m Loan Guarantee from DFC for Local-currency Lending to MSMEs in Tunisia
Arab Tunisian Bank (ATB) recently acquired a guarantee in the amount of USD 22.75 million from the government-backed US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to support its local-currency lending to “inland and hard-to-reach” micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Tunisia. The focus on inland areas is motivated by
MICROFINANCE EVENT: World Finance Banking Symposium; December 17-18, 2021; Budapest, Hungary; with virtual option
This event, hosted by Corvinus University, focuses on research and management in economics and financial services. Sample topics include:
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Agents for Impact Loans $3m from Invest in Visions to Imon International for Microfinance in Tajikistan
For the latest on this transaction, please visit: https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-agents-for-impact-loans-3m-from-invest-in-visions-to-imon-international-for-microfinance-in-tajikistan-2/.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DFC Approves $9m, 10-year Loan to Apollo Agriculture of Kenya
Kenya-based Apollo Agriculture, a technology company that works with small-scale farmers to boost their profits, recently agreed to borrow USD 9.5 million for up to 10 years from the government-backed US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Apollo provides the following services in Kenya,
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Opportunity Collaboration; September 25-29, 2022; Miches, Dominican Republic
This event is dedicated to fostering relationships among social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and funders via “conversations for change, capacity-building clinics, mealtime salons, affinity circles and impromptu working groups.” Delegates may also present
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Reltime to Launch “Decentralized Banking Ecosystem” Allowing P2P Loans, Fee-free Transfers Across Eurasia, Latin America
Reltime, a Norway-based firm founded in 2018, recently told MicroCapital it will launch a “decentralized banking ecosystem” allowing anyone with a smartphone and internet access to engage in
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Aden Bank for Microfinance to Target MSMEs, Women, Youth in Yemen
Based on the authorization it received in October 2021 from the Central Bank of Yemen, Aden Bank for Microfinance is moving forward with plans to offer financial services in the country. Aden Bank is arranging partnerships with local
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Lends $5.6m to Union des Caisses de Credit Mutuel du Sénégal (CMS) to Promote Rural Financial Inclusion
Union des Caisses de Credit Mutuel du Sénégal (CMS), a microfinance institution (MFI) in Senegal, recently borrowed EUR 5 million (USD 5.6 million) from Oikocredit, a cooperative based in the Netherlands. With this funding, CMS aims to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Skoll World Forum; April 6-8, 2022; NOW VIRTUAL
The Skoll World Forum is an annual event intended to advance entrepreneurial solutions to social problems. Although the detailed agenda has not been released, previous conferences have addressed topics such as
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: L-IFT Adds Features to Finbit Financial Diaries App
The Netherlands-based company Low-income Financial Transformation (L-IFT) recently added several features to its Finbit system for creating financial diaries to track the transactions and various attributes of individuals and small enterprises. Finbit includes both an app for Android phones and a portal for accessing the data collected.
The app can act as a financial diary, tracking every daily expense and instance of incoming funds, including purchases, savings, loan disbursements and loan payments as well as number of hours worked. Its new features are more oriented toward the owners of small businesses, including
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp Africa Summit; March 1-4, 2022; Nairobi, Kenya
In parallel with its sibling Sankalp events that have a global or Southeast Asian focus, this forum is intended to “leverage the knowledge and networks from entrepreneurs, investors, corporations and policymakers” to promote “development through entrepreneurship and innovation.” The theme for the ninth Sankalp Africa Summit is “mainstreaming impact” to create
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corp Launches “VNPT Pay” Mobile Money Service
Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT) recently won approval from the State Bank of Vietnam to pilot a nationwide mobile money service. The service, VNPT Pay, allows customers to use