-
Analysis: Innovation Under Constraint in the Global South
For the impact economy, the central challenge is not replication but responsibility. If scale reshapes power, then impact-aligned capital must take responsibility for how that power is structured and where value ultimately accrues.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
-
Proparco Grants Wema Bank a First €5 Million Guarantee to Finance Impact-Driven MSMEs in Nigeria
Proparco is granting a NGN 9 billion ARIZ portfolio guarantee (equivalent to €5 million) to Wema Bank in Nigeria. This marks the first collaboration between the two institutions.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Creating a Local Means of Exchange for African Entrepreneurs: How a Blockchain-Based Community Currency Gained Traction in Tanzania
In African communities, the lack of disposable income often hinders economic growth, and many local entrepreneurs are excluded from centralized, formal finance. Malik El Bay at the Encointer Association and Alinagwe Mwaselela at Jukumu NGO explore how their organizations are addressing this issue by leveraging blockchain technology to enable community members in Dar es Salaam to independently create and manage their own local cryptocurrency. They explain how this community currency model can be leveraged to support economic growth and entrepreneurship across Africa and other emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
-
Delta40 Raises $20 Million to Expand Venture Studio–Led Startup Financing Across Africa
Backers include development finance institutions, foundations, family offices, and 25 startup founders, with 14 investors located on the African continent.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Press Release: SMFG and IFC Partner to Launch the World’s First Digital Inclusion Bond, Supporting Growth and Job Creation through MSMEs in Emerging Markets
This landmark transaction marks IFC’s first investment in a thematic bond focused on digital inclusion as well as its first investment in Total Loss-Absorbing Capacity (TLAC)-eligible instruments in the Asia Pacific region.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
-
Leveraging the Currency of Trust: How Social Commerce Data Can Inform Risk Management and Bring Formal Finance to Women-Led MSMEs
Across emerging markets, millions of women entrepreneurs operate in trust-based economies invisible to formal credit systems. As Nabilla Prita Fiandini and Monica Christy at MicroSave Consulting (MSC) explain, these businesses rely on their social reputations and customer relationships to survive, and often use platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to market their products. They share insights from a recent MSC report based on surveys and interviews with hundreds of social sellers across Indonesia, exploring how data from these entrepreneurs' social commerce activity can be used to boost their access to formal finance.
- Categories
- Finance
-
MSMEs Begin Applications for 2026 Programmes Under SME Corp. Malaysia
Under the 13MP (2026–2030), the MSME scaling-up agenda has been outlined to upgrade the size of MSMEs from micro to small and subsequently to medium.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- business development, MSMEs, scale, startups
-
GoCab: $45 Million Raised To Expand Electric Mobility And Ethical Vehicle Financing Across Africa
Operationally, GoCab said it now employs more than 120 people across five countries and that it generates more than $17 million in annual recurring revenue after roughly 18 months of operations.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.
