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African Development Bank’s AFAWA Hits $1 Billion Investment Milestone in Lending to Women Entrepreneurs in Africa
This is yet another milestone for the bank following a historic summit last week to tackle the escalating challenges of food security in Africa.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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South African Digital Lender Lulalend to Launch Banking Product Off the Back of $35 Million Series B
The digital lender, launched in 2014, has raised $35 million in a Series B round led by international impact investor Lightrock, with participation from new investors.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kenya: KFW Lends €20 Million for Water and Sanitation in Kericho and Kisii
The loan will be used to finance the expansion of water supply and sanitation systems in Kericho and Kisii counties in Kenya.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- lending, sanitation, water
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From Grameen Bank to Global Scale: The New Edition of a Classic Book Highlights the Hard Truth – And Enduring Value – Behind Microfinance
In 1996, Grameen Foundation founder Alex Counts published “Small Loans, Big Dreams,” a well-regarded account of the origins and early years of the microfinance sector. Counts recently published a new edition of the book, which reflects on the ongoing evolution of the industry, and responds to critics who have questioned its role in international development. Longtime microfinance leader and analyst Elisabeth Rhyne discusses the book, and explores what these new updates tell us about the current state of the global microfinance sector.
- Categories
- Finance
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Rockefeller, Gates, OSF Launch Fund to Spur Multilateral Development Bank Lending to Low- and Middle-Income Countries
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and The Rockefeller Foundation launched a new $5 million grant fund to spur reforms in multilateral development banks.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
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R2 Closes $15 Million Series A Round to Provide Frictionless Credit to Small Businesses
87% of credit demand by small businesses in Latin America is unmet, and R2’s goal is to change this reality through an embedded lending infrastructure.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Why Credit is Key to Unlocking Africa’s Consumer Markets and Boosting Economic Growth
Africa’s consumer market is one of the fastest-growing in the world. But as Fehintolu Olaogun at CredPal points out, this growth has primarily occurred without consumer credit, as most sub-Saharan African economies remain cash-driven at the retail level. He explains why African markets need the kind of organized credit systems that are enjoyed by consumers in more developed markets, and explores the impact that credit access can have on e-commerce, informal commerce and overall economic growth in the region.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
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Goldman Sachs Group Lends $150 Million to Clara to Meet Latin America Firms’ Need for Loans
The funding will help to meet Latin American corporations’ need for loans and assistance with spending management across the region.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Latin America
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