Thursday, June 11, 2026, 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET/2:00 PM - 3:00 PM BST/4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EAT
Join Aceli Africa, Convergence, and senior representatives from financial institutions for a conversation on what it takes to unlock sustainable financing for agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa. Drawing on Aceli Africa’s 2020 - 2025 learning, the webinar will explore the challenges in lending to agri-SMEs, how Aceli's blended finance model has activated financial institutions, and what the emerging opportunities are for financing in this sector.
Over the past five years, Aceli Africa has mobilized more than $440 million in lending to agri-SMEs, working with 50+ lenders in East Africa. Their latest report, Activating the agri-SME finance market: Learning from 2020 to 2025, shares how financial incentives and capacity building are helping unlock private capital and shift lender behaviour in the region. The findings show increased institutional commitment to agriculture and growing investment in first time borrowers, women-led businesses, and food crop value chains.
