Proparco and Equity Group Launch USD 70 Million SME Financing Deal Across Africa
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks a new milestone, reflecting a renewed shared ambition to support high-impact projects.
Proparco and Equity Group have a long-standing relationship and share a common commitment to fostering a responsible and sustainable private sector across the African continent.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marks a new milestone, reflecting a renewed shared ambition to support high-impact projects. Signed, the MoU identifies five strategic priority areas in which Proparco and Equity Group commit to actively collaborate:
- Financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-SMEs
- Climate finance
- Agriculture and value chain development
- Trade finance and regional trade facilitation
- Financial sector development and social impact initiatives
The Letter of Interest (LoI) signed today marks a first concrete step in the partnership, with a transaction involving EquityBCDC, a subsidiary of Equity Group Holdings Plc and a leading bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) active in SME financing. It sets the framework for a USD 70 million syndicated facility arranged by Proparco alongside several development finance institutions, including a USD 25 million participation from Proparco.
The facility will be fully dedicated to SMEs, with 30% allocated to women-led businesses, thereby qualifying for the 2X Challenge. The project will support access to finance for underserved businesses and contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth.”
“Proparco is pleased to strengthen its partnership with Equity Group, a leading financial player in Africa, and its subsidiary EquityBCDC. This new step in our collaboration, as well as the loan arranged by Proparco alongside our peers, demonstrates our continued commitment to fostering a dynamic private sector that generates positive impact.”
– Françoise Lombard, CEO, Proparco
“This partnership with Proparco is about unlocking African enterprise at scale. Through this, we are accelerating financing to SMEs and strengthening support for climate and green finance, agriculture, trade finance, and broader financial sector development across Africa. By combining Proparco’s development finance expertise with Equity Group’s regional footprint and market access capabilities, we are enabling more entrepreneurs and businesses to invest, trade, create jobs and build resilient communities. Together, we are advancing inclusive economic growth and sustainable development across the continent.”
– Dr James Mwangi, Managing Director and CEO, Equity Group Holdings
