OUR VISION & MISSION
Aceli Africa envisions a thriving market where capital flows unlock the growth and impact potential of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.
Our mission is to generate this impact by bridging the gap between supply and demand for capital for agricultural SMEs.
Building the market for agricultural SME finance in Africa will contribute to several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through improved livelihoods for farmers and workers, climate-smart and resilient agriculture, gender inclusion, and food security and nutrition.
DATA & LEARNING
Year 1 Learning Report
Amid the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19 and climate change, the need for investment in the African agriculture sector is more urgent than ever. Aceli’s experience in Year 1 indicates that there is growing interest from private sector lenders to expand their agriculture portfolios.
Gender Inclusive Lending for Agriculture in Africa
Highlights Aceli's approach to gender inclusion, our data and learning from offering impact-linked financial incentives for lenders, actions we're taking with our partners to close the economic opportunity gap for women, and questions for further exploration.
The Effect of Central Bank Policies on Agri-SME Lending
Draws upon a literature review, conversations with more than 70 practitioners in East Africa, and the experiences of our team from the perspective of both lending and borrowing to highlight challenges posed by Central Bank policies and recommended solutions.
Facilitating gender inclusive lending for agri enterprises
Shares data and learning related to gender inclusion from Aceli’s work over the past two years with 25 lenders in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
A framework for incentivizing high-impact lending
Summarizes Aceli’s approach to incentivizing lending that is both additional and targeted to high-impact agri-SMEs.
Bridging the Financing Gap: Unlocking the Potential of Agri-SMEs
Our 2020 benchmarking report synthesizes our journey distilling the economics of agri-SME lending across a diverse set of lenders and designing solutions to bridge the gap – estimated at $65 billion a year across Sub-Saharan Africa – between capital supply and demand for agri-SMEs.
THE ROLE OF AGRI-SMEs
Agricultural SMEs are vital actors in the agricultural sector, strengthening climate resilience and facilitating pathways out of poverty for both smallholder farmers and low-skill workers, particularly women and youth.
THE CHALLENGE
Agricultural SMEs need reliable access to finance to realize their growth and impact potential. However, Aceli’s original data confirms that risk in agri-SME lending is twice as high as other sectors while returns are 4-5% lower, limiting capital flows to agricultural SMEs today.
THE NEED FOR SMARTER FINANCING
Lenders have historically shied away from the high risks and low returns, creating a $65 billion annual financing gap for agricultural SMEs across sub-Saharan Africa. Traditional guarantee mechanisms are not sufficient to increase lender risk appetite and extend credit access to the majority of agricultural SMEs that are not currently being served.
OUR PARTNERS
Aceli Africa has been designed by lending practitioners based on their experience serving agricultural SMEs, and informed by data from 31 lenders and numerous stakeholders.
DATA & LEARNING
DONORS
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
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