Across Africa, women entrepreneurs face a funding gap of $42 billion. They play a major role in economic growth, job creation and community resilience, but struggle to access credit. Initiatives such as the African Development Bank’s AFAWA programme and the African Guarantee Fund are improving access, but structural barriers remain. A high-level meeting held in Rabat on the sidelines of the 7th African Investment Forum highlighted the urgency of removing these barriers.
While financing for women-led businesses remains a major challenge in Africa, concrete initiatives are emerging to address this gap. At the Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, a discussion forum was dedicated to women’s economic empowerment. Against a backdrop of statistics revealing a shortfall of more than $42 billion for women-led SMEs, financial and institutional players came together to share experiences, successes and innovative solutions.
There is a lot of work to be done, whether in Morocco or elsewhere in Africa, but the tools are there to support these women in terms of guarantees. What reassured me today was the awareness that women, whether Moroccan or African, are key players in the economic development of our continent.
Mariam Zein, CEO, MAFCI
Since its inception, the AFAWA initiative has approved more than $1.2 billion in financing for women-led businesses across 32 countries on the continent. This commitment is part of a broader ambition to mobilise some $5 billion by 2026 to support and develop women’s entrepreneurship in Africa.
In my experience, I believe that today’s panel and the organisation of this session have demonstrated that there are tools available today, notably AFAWA and the guarantee fund, which can be used to promote financing for women entrepreneurs.
Leila Doukali, Chairwoman of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Morocco (AFEM)
Because women reinvest up to 90% of their income in education, health and food for their communities, compared to 40% for men, investing in women-led businesses strengthens supply chains, stimulates innovation and promotes sustainable and inclusive development.
