African Agribusiness Investment Firm Secures $10M From Mastercard Foundation
Sahel Capital, a private investment firm dedicated to expanding Africa’s agribusiness sector, has announced that its Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA) has secured a $10 million investment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund.
The partnership, funded by MEDA Mauritius, will contribute to expanding financing for small and medium-sized agribusiness enterprises across sub-Saharan Africa.
“Since the inception of the Fund in 2021, we have processed 33 facilities to 18 companies in 7 countries in SSA”, Mezuo Nwuneli, Managing Partner of Sahel Capital, said in a press release.
SEFAA’s strengthening agricultural ecosystems
The new capital will enable SEFAA to fulfill its mission of expanding agricultural ecosystems, enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, and promoting inclusive growth. With this support, the fund aims to create more than 10,000 jobs for women and young people across 13 African countries, according to TechAfrica News.
SEFAA focuses on addressing the financing gap faced by financially viable agribusiness SMEs that are excluded from traditional lending systems.
“This $10 million commitment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, through MEDA Mauritius, is a testament to our team’s hard work and the impactful work we are doing. It will be instrumental in accelerating our efforts to improve the income opportunity for SHFs by enabling the agri-SMEs that engages with them, further strengthening our position as a leading fund in the food and agriculture sector in Africa,” Nwuneli says.
The Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund
The Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund is committed to helping African SME’s expand and create dignified, fulfilling employment opportunities. Its investment in SEFAA highlights an intentional effort to direct catalytic capital toward high-potential enterprises that drive inclusive growth.
KfW Development Bank’s early investment was also instrumental in establishing the Fund and advancing its mission, which helped contribute to the success and expansion of SEFAA.
“With the support of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, this collaboration strengthens our
shared mission to catalyse job creation for women and youth by financing SMEs and MSMEs, while also helping to build the enabling ecosystems they need to thrive sustainably,” Dorothy Nyambi, President and CEO of MEDA, said.
Image: Ali Mkumbwa
