AGF, Visa Foundation Sign $2M Grant for Women Entrepreneurs

Points clés à retenir

Women entrepreneurs in Africa face a financing gap of more than $42 billion, according to the African Development Bank. Although women own about a third of all businesses on the continent, they receive less than 10% of available credit. Structural barriers — such as lack of collateral, gender bias in lending, and limited access to networks — continue to restrict their growth. AFAWA, launched by the AfDB, has become one of the most ambitious initiatives to close this gap by providing risk-sharing guarantees to financial institutions while also offering capacity-building support. AGF, as an implementing partner, channels these guarantees to local banks to encourage them to lend more to women. The new $2 million grant from Visa Foundation strengthens this pipeline, allowing AGF to de-risk loans and scale support more widely. If successful, the partnership could help accelerate women’s contribution to Africa’s GDP and promote broader financial inclusion.