Completed Project: SME Agribusiness Development in East Africa
The SME Impact Fund (SIF) provided meso-level financing to agribusiness SMEs in East Africa. SIF provided loans ranging from USD 65,000 to USD 650,000, with an average loan size of USD 200,000. The Fund offered financing in local currency at competitive interest rates ranging between 18% and 20% per annum, with repayment periods of up to 60 months.
Project partners included Dutch NGOs such as Hivos and Cordaid, as well as private investors including MatchMaker Associates (MMA). The local banking partner was the National Microfinance Bank (NMB) of Tanzania, which provided SIF with strong outreach across rural districts in the country. Technical partners included the Financial Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST), MatchMaker Associates (MMA), and the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) through its Business Development Services (BDS) project.
The target fund size was not reached during the second close, and the Fund completed its final exit in 2025. Nevertheless, through its investments, SIF reached 19,000 smallholder farmers and supported 2,500 jobs. SIF estimated that its investments contributed to the livelihoods of approximately 98,000 beneficiaries.
Submitting Institution | MatchMaker Fund Management (MMFM) |
Location | Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia |
Commodity | Miscellaneous |
Total Cost (Target Fund Size) | Euro 10,000,000 |
CFC Financing | USD 520,000 (Equity) |
Co-financing | Balance to be sourced from other consortium partners |
Year of Implementation | 2013 |
SDGs
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