Mobilizing capital, unlocking impact

Aceli Africa is catalyzing the finance market for a thriving agriculture sector in Africa.

Aceli Africa is a market catalyst

Aceli’s data-driven approach provides incentives to lenders to increase financing for agri-SMEs. The incentives are designed to advance impact objectives in food security, rural livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment, opportunities for youth, and environmental adaptation & resilience.

Approach

Latest data & learning

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Building a Sustainable Technical Assistance Market for Agri-SMEs

Examines the critical role of TA in bridging the agri-SME financing gap and shares learning from Aceli’s experience facilitating TA to 700 African agri-SMEs.

SME Impact Report: Powered by voices of East African agricultural SMEs receiving Aceli-supported loans

Draws on insights from 656 SME owners with Aceli-supported loans, and more than 6,000 farmers connected to these businesses across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

2025 Financial Benchmarking Report

Shares data & insights from 32k loans totaling $2B from 41 Aceli lending partners across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Role of Government in Rural & Agri-Finance: Building a Market-Based System to Support Sustainable Growth

Presents recommendations for how governments can play a more effective role in developing a competitive agri-finance market that supports a robust food system and thriving agricultural economy.

Aceli Africa Year 3 Learning Report

Shares data & learning drawn from 1,567 agriculture loans totaling $152M. We present metrics from our financial incentives program, data trends in agri-SME lending across East Africa, and ingredients for sustained lender behavior change.

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Impact of Aceli incentives to date

Aceli’s incentives unlock increased lending to agri-SMEs

$337M

of capital mobilized

10x

capital leverage

Expanded access to finance generates enterprise growth

>60%

of loans going to first-time borrowers

24%

annual SME revenue growth

Improved market access & employment in rural communities

1.6M

farmers & workers impacted

$1B

in farmer crop purchases & worker salaries

Agricultural growth is

more effective in reducing poverty than growth in any other sector

The opportunity

Agri-SMEs are the heart of a thriving agriculture sector

Agri-SMEs play a crucial role in improving rural livelihoods by aggregating and linking millions of smallholder farmers to markets while also generating employment, especially for women and youth. They form the backbone of a vibrant agriculture sector that replaces expensive imports with locally-produced food that is more affordable and nutritious.

Financing agri-SMEs can unlock growth & impact

Reliable access to finance is a necessary ingredient for agri-SMEs to thrive, but lenders have historically shied away from the high risks and relatively low financial returns in agriculture. This has created a $75 billion annual agri-SME financing gap across sub-Saharan Africa.