Partnership with the Africa Agriculture SME Fund (AAF-SME)
The AAF-SME Fund is Africa’s first Impact Investing Fund with a focus solely on food producing and processing Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs) throughout the continent. AAF-SME is being complemented through a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) that provides grant funding with an emphasis on the establishment of out-grower schemes. The CFC joined the Fund on the second close in May 2014.
The fund has invested in eight different agricultural SMEs across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that focus on different value chain segments, from mixed farming operations to organic fertiliser production. The proceeds are mainly used for follow-on investments for existing portfolio companies, till the fund is scheduled to close.
Through its investments, the AAF-SME fund has supported local employment and strengthened commercial relations of smallholders with AAF-SME funded companies, which source their raw materials for processing.
Submitting Institution | Africa Agriculture SME Fund (AAF-SME) |
Location | Africa |
Commodity | Miscellaneous |
Total Cost (Target Fund Size) | USD 80,000,000 |
CFC Financing | USD 2,000,000 (equity) |
Co-financing | Other main investors: Agence Française de Développement (AFD), PROPARCO, Spanish Government (AECID) and African Development Bank (AfDB). |
Year of Implementation | 2015 |
SDGs