"Nearly 90% of all adults in sub-Saharan Africa do not have a bank account, and are largely excluded from banks. This shows the importance of micro-finance institutions to increase access to financial services. In 2011, we approved loans and investments to 50 new and existing partners in Africa, totalling €32 million," says Florian Grohs, director loans and Investment at Oikocredit.
This year's AFIF Forum, entitled Financial inclusion through SMEs & Cooperatives, will highlight the financial tools, solutions and growing policy trends to ensure Africa's economic growth for Africa's small and medium enterprise sector (SMEs). In partnership with Rabobank, the Dutch international financial service provider, the Forum will be held from 17-19 June 2012 at the Robabank headquarters in The Netherlands. Government representatives, experts, business leaders, entrepreneurs and civil society will be represented at the highest level and from all four corners of the world. Concrete measures will be proposed for Africa's SMEs and cooperative sectors, with a particular focus on finance and sustainability.
"We will present Oikocredit's activities in financing micro-finance institutions, cooperatives and small and medium enterprises that have a dual objective, providing a high social and a stable financial return to their members, shareholders or the region they work in," adds Grohs.
In addition, the EMRC-Hivos Project Incubator Award will be sponsored this year by the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (Hivos), a leading Dutch organisation with a worldwide presence, and held in collaboration with Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A), a global platform connecting entrepreneurs and investors throughout Africa with the winner receiving a cash prise of US$15,000.
AFIF 2012 will provide a platform for new and improved financial tools with a particular focus on mechanisms adapted and unique to the African business model. Business-to-business meetings which are tailor-made to ensure maximum business partnership success will be organized over two days. The first two days of the Forum will be held in Utrecht and the third day will be held in partnership with Food First, which includes guided visits to one of the world's biggest Horticultural Expo - Floriade 2012 (Venlo-Netherlands), organised once every ten years.
