Posts Tagged ‘africa’

Microfinance Focus, Sep 1, 2010: International Finance Corporation (IFC), the financial arm of World Bank increased its investments in Sub-Saharan Africa to $2.4 billion during the fiscal year 2010 from $1.8 billion a year earlier. It was the first time IFC's annual investments surpassed $2.0 billion in the region. IFC mobilized an additional $1.1 billion from other investors and approved 40 new Advisory Services projects ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, July 8, 2010: The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and the Tuninvest-AfricInvest Group (TunInvest-AfricInvest) have yesterday signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to extend and intensify their partnership. The goal of this non-exclusive strategic partnership is to further contribute to the development of the private sector and mainly the SME segment in Africa by improving the institutions' integration and information sharing. Both FMO ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, June 8, 2010: MFTransparency a global initiative for fair and transparent pricing in the microfinance industry has entered into a partnership with The MasterCard Foundation to promote fair and transparent pricing in the microfinance industry in eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The effort, known as the enabling APR & EIR Program (enabling Africa to Price Responsibly & Educate on Interest Rates), will be ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, May 19, 2010: Equity Bank, Africa’s leading microfinance bank in partnership with Safaricom has yesterday launched M-KESHO, an interest bearing savings account for Kenya’s 9.4 million M-PESA users, says a press release. The customers will now have access to mobile micro-savings, micro-insurance and other banking services from their M-PESA Equity bank accounts via their mobile handsets. The launch of M-KESHO is in response ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, May 19, 2010: Microfinance News Synopsis brings a compilation of industry headlines broadcasted by other news media from across the world. MicroGraam opens doors for small investors through online lending: Where high-interest rates act as a deterrent to many micro-entrepreneurial ventures, here's an online microfinance marketplace that promises aid at low costs. MicroGraam, a Bangalore-based microfinance institution (MFI), has launched this online auction-based marketplace, ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, March 6, 2010: IFC has launched a series of programs this weekend in cooperation with the central banks of Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania aimed at increasing the quality of credit reporting in Africa. The lack of credit information hinders banks from widely offering financial services, improved reporting and creditworthiness. IFC has co-hosted a series of regional workshops that brought together central banks, financial ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 26, 2010: Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Máxima of The Netherlands, Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, BRAC Chair Sir Fazle Abed, and other microfinance leaders from the region will address the Africa-Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit to be held April 7-10, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. A program featuring ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 19, 2010: Grameen Foundation has announced a two-year initiative to help African microfinance institutions (MFIs) better target poor clients and track how they are moving out of poverty. The first of its kind in Africa, the initiative is being organised by the PPI™ Users Collaborative in Africa (PUCA), a new, multi-stakeholder group that unites five charter partners – Oikocredit, Catholic Relief Services, Terrafina ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 18, 2010: mChek, a Mobile Money Solutions company has been certified by Western Union as a Mobile Money Transfer Vendor, said a statement from mChek. The certification under the Western Union Mobile Vendor Program was received after a technology integration and certification testing program, it said. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) around the globe can now partner with Western Union to offer ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 16, 2010: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has said it will set up microfinance institutions in Zambia this year in an effort to enhance access to microfinance services by many people, the Post of Zambia reported on Wednesday. IFC Information Officer Houtan Bassiri said the institution, which is a member of the World Bank, has partnered with Germany's KfW Entwicklungsbank in helping address ... Full story

Micofinance Focus, Jan. 15, 2010: Advans SA SICAR has announced the completion of its second round of fundraising for an amount of EUR 23 million. With this, the total committed capital of  Advans SA to EUR 40.1 million. This additional capital, committed to by existing shareholders, will support the development of the Advans network over the coming years and increase its ability to offer adapted financial ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Jan.8, 2010: Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder of BRAC in Bangladesh and a pioneer in the fight to end poverty, will participate in the Africa-Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit to be held April 7-10, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. Mr Abed's name was included in HRH Queen Elizabeth of England's New Year's Honors List released on December 31, 2009. He will be knighted by Queen ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 18, 2009: The Carsey Institute of the University of New Hampshire has set up a Sustainable Microenterprise and Development Program (SMDP), that was formerly known as the Microenterprise and Development Institute (MDI). Mr William Maddocks, coordinator of the initiative, said the program will provide training for practitioners in the microfinance and microenterprise development and it will hold three workshops in the United ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 2, 2009: LeapFrog Investments, a major microinsurance investment fund, has announced a ZAR 50 million (over US$6 million) investment in AllLife, the innovative South African insurer serving people living with HIV and diabetes. The investment brings together LeapFrog, the leading microinsurance investment fund, and AllLife, one of Africa's most innovative insurance businesses. The announcement was made on the occasion of  World AIDS Day ... Full story