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Three Questions for Five African Businesses: Insights from Sankalp Africa Summit’s ‘Enterprise Showcase’
The recent Sankalp Africa Summit featured an “Enterprise Showcase” where up-and-coming African businesses shared information about their work and missions. NextBillion interviewed five of these entrepreneurs and company representatives, asking each of them three questions: What are the main challenges you’re facing in running your business? What kind of support would help you overcome these challenges? And what’s one thing you wish funders understood about your business needs? Their responses reveal some of the innovative approaches and key issues that are emerging in Africa’s vibrant ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Transportation, WASH
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South Africa’s Hlayisani Capital Launches 2nd Fund with Initial $29.9 Million in Commitments
It offers strategic support and capital to high-growth, highly scalable SMEs with a proven track record, and specialises in growing these SMEs into large, successful enterprises that operate across multiple territories, create jobs and generate export revenue domestically.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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ResponsAbility Commits USD $21.5 Million to CDB to Scale Green Lending in Sri Lanka
The transaction strengthens responsAbility’s footprint in South Asia and the Sri Lankan market, supporting CDB in expanding SME lending, advancing gender-focused financing, and scaling investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Press Release: Fasanara and IFC Launch New Strategy to Expand Access to Finance for MSMEs in Emerging Markets
The initiative will channel more affordable, flexible financing to MSMEs by supporting fintech lenders that serve these businesses.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
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Press Release: British International Investment and ILX Complete First Joint Investment in Emerging Markets
The $15 million transaction marks ILX’s first sub-participation in a BII investment, since the two institutions formalised their partnership to increase institutional capital flowing into high-impact opportunities in emerging markets.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Global
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Analysis: Innovation Under Constraint in the Global South
For the impact economy, the central challenge is not replication but responsibility. If scale reshapes power, then impact-aligned capital must take responsibility for how that power is structured and where value ultimately accrues.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
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Proparco Grants Wema Bank a First €5 Million Guarantee to Finance Impact-Driven MSMEs in Nigeria
Proparco is granting a NGN 9 billion ARIZ portfolio guarantee (equivalent to €5 million) to Wema Bank in Nigeria. This marks the first collaboration between the two institutions.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Creating a Local Means of Exchange for African Entrepreneurs: How a Blockchain-Based Community Currency Gained Traction in Tanzania
In African communities, the lack of disposable income often hinders economic growth, and many local entrepreneurs are excluded from centralized, formal finance. Malik El Bay at the Encointer Association and Alinagwe Mwaselela at Jukumu NGO explore how their organizations are addressing this issue by leveraging blockchain technology to enable community members in Dar es Salaam to independently create and manage their own local cryptocurrency. They explain how this community currency model can be leveraged to support economic growth and entrepreneurship across Africa and other emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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