by Vaughn Rajah -

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

by Vaughn Rajah -

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

by Elva Montelongo -

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

by Ben Barba -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Khan Bank Raises $10m in Bond Sale to Vision Microfinance Dual Return Fund to Support Women’s SMEs in Mongolia

Symbiotics Investments, a Switzerland-based investor focused on smaller businesses in low- and middle- income countries, recently facilitated a bond issue channeling USD 10 million to Khan Bank, which serves individuals and companies of all sizes in Mongolia, to support UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality. Impact Asset Management (I-AM), a unit of Austria’s C-Quadrat Investment Group, bought the bond through its Vision

by Renata Samadova -

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

by Renata Samadova -

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

by Renata Samadova -

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

by Elva Montelongo -

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

by Ben Barba -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ADB, FinDev Canada to Partner on Investments in Market Development; Women’s Empowerment; Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation in Asia, Pacific

The multilateral Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Canadian government’s FinDev Canada recently announced a partnership to support projects in Asia and the Pacific that further FinDev Canada’s priority areas of “women’s economic empowerment, climate action and local market development.” In addition to identifying deals to co-finance, the organizations plan

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation Loans $3.2m to Faten for Microfinance in Palestine

The Luxembourg-based Grameen Crédit Agricole (GCA) Foundation recently disbursed a local-currency loan approximately equivalent to USD 3.2 million to the microfinance institution (MFI) Palestine for Credit and Development, which is also known by its Arabic name Faten. Founded in 1999 and based in Palestine’s West Bank, Faten is an NGO that seeks to

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Green Energy Finance and Gender Disparity: The Case of Mountain Areas in Bangladesh,” by Sakib Bin Amin et al, Published by Copenhagen Business School

The authors of this study conducted a household-level analysis to examine the relationships among electricity access, green finance and gender disparity in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. Although access to electricity can

by Anaya Jhaveri -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sankalp West Africa Summit; June 12-13, 2023; Accra, Ghana

This event will focus on mechanisms through which entrepreneurial partnerships in regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa, can solve global issues. The organizers expect approximately 80 speakers and 300 delegates discussing topics such as: (1) Agriculture; (2) Climate Change and Clean Energy;

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: DFIs Invest $109m in Horizon Capital IV to Support SMEs in Ukraine, Moldova

Six public-sector organizations recently invested in the second funding round of Horizon Capital IV with the goal of enabling the equity fund to supply more working capital to “fast-growing, technology-enabled small and medium-size businesses” in Ukraine and Moldova. The fund also seeks to

by Renata Samadova -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asia Pacific Microfinance Forum; October 17-18, 2023; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This event, in its fourth edition, aims to facilitate networking among investors and retail financial institutions. With a focus on market trends, the forum will address topics such as: (1) Recent Developments in Responsible Inclusive Finance; (2) Strategies to Overcome

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Agents for Impact Disburses $8m from Invest in Visions (IIV) to Microfinance Institutions Digamber of India, Imon of Tajikistan

Agents for Impact (AFI), a Germany-based investing company, recently informed MicroCapital that it has disbursed a loan of EUR 5 million (USD 5.5 million) to Digamber Capfin Limited, a microfinance institution (MFI) serving rural women in India, on behalf of Invest in Visions (IIV). AFI also

by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Arnur Credit of Kazakhstan Borrows $3.3m from Grameen Crédit Agricole to Expand Access to Microfinance

The Luxembourg-based Grameen Crédit Agricole (GCA) Foundation recently loaned EUR 3 million (USD 3.3 million) to Arnur Credit, a microfinance institution (MFI) that operates in southern Kazakhstan. Arnur provides