Microfinance innovations power growth of women-led businesses in Africa

Financial institution Advans has rolled out women-focused programmes in Tunisia, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire that are already showing results.

In Tunisia, the El Beya loan, introduced in 2024, allows women to borrow up to €3,000 with reduced fees and flexible collateral.

A June 2025 study showed that 82 percent of women clients increased their income, 39 percent spent more on education, and 13 percent created jobs.

In Ghana, the AdvansHer programme combines financing with coaching in social media promotion, bookkeeping, and business structuring.

More than 100 women-led SMEs have participated since its launch, supported by the Development Bank of Ghana.

The institution also introduced EduSave, a school-fee savings features specifically targeted at women.

For Ghanaian fashion entrepreneur Vicentia Ananepia, the support proved pivotal.

“One day, my goods arrived from China, and I had no money to go and claim them,” she recalled. “So, I went through Advans. They lent me money to pay my bills, and I brought the goods to market.”

That single shipment saved her business and helped it expand.

Today, she owns three shops. “As a woman, I’m proud of myself because it’s not easy for a woman to work as a trader.”

Across Côte d’Ivoire, Advans has also developed savings and lending products for rural women through village savings and loan associations and cooperatives, particularly in cocoa-growing regions.

The broader impact is clear. Advans now serves over 240,000 women across Africa, including more than 26,000 borrowers.

Women account for 35 percent of all depositors in its network.

According to the World Bank’s 2025 Global Findex, Kenya has nearly closed its gender gap in financial access down to just 1.6 percent thanks to mobile money, underscoring what is possible when financial systems innovate.