Access to Finance Strengthened for Women Entrepreneurs Through IYBA-WE4A-Goodwell Partnership

NAIROBI, KENYA, 12 May 2025 –  The Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (IYBA-WE4A) programme marked a significant milestone during the EU Kenya Business Forum on 12 May 2025, with the official signing of a new partnership of 3.3 million euros focused on boosting access to finance and business support for women entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The partnership was signed between Goodwell, a Dutch impact investment firm with over 20 years of experience in Africa, the European Union (EU), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Held in Nairobi, the event highlighted the commitment of all partners to advancing gender equality and promoting the green transformation through support to women-led businesses.

Co-financed by the EU, the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the IYBA-WE4A programme aims to strengthen economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The collaboration with Goodwell will provide up to 20 entrepreneurs with SME loan guarantees and at least 15 with concessional loans, as well as tailored technical assistance to 100 women entrepreneurs, including those working in sectors driving green transformation.

IYBA WE4A combines the expertise of its partners to create a pathway to success for women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa. To unlock their full potential, IYBA WE4A seeks to enhance business capacities, improve access to financial services and boost growth opportunities for African women entrepreneurs leading businesses in green sectors.

Lilian Oyando, Associate Partner at Goodwell, said during the event, “This partnership marks a major milestone for us at Goodwell. Through this initiative, we aim to empower women-led businesses with the financial tools and technical support needed to grow sustainably and drive the green transformation on the continent.”

Christoph Zipfel, Programme Director of Sustainable Economic Development Cluster at GIZ, commented, “Our collaboration with Goodwell is a crucial step toward unlocking new opportunities for women entrepreneurs in green sectors. This partnership not only drives forward gender equality but also supports inclusive economic development across Africa.” 

Hans Stausball, Acting Director of EU INTPA Africa Department added, “This initiative exemplifies Team Europe’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs and sustainable development. By joining forces with GIZ and Goodwell, we are ensuring that women across Africa are better positioned to lead in the green economy.” 

The event concluded with a strong message of collaboration and long-term commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs who are essential to building a greener, more equitable future. 

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For additional information and interview requests, please contact:

Liz Keel, Marketing Communications Manager at Goodwell

liz@goodwell.nl 

IYBA-WE4A
The Multi-Donor Action Team Europe Initiative Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (TEI IYBA WE4A) is jointly co-financed by the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific State (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the BMZ-funded multi-donor project Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa (WE4D).   

The IYBA WE4A programme directly contributes to increasing the economic participation of women and gender equality. The overall objective (impact) of the IYBA WE4A programme is to create sustainable, inclusive, green growth in selected African countries (Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda). The specific objective (outcome) of the programme is: The economic empowerment and financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs in sectors contributing to the green transformation in selected Sub-Saharan countries is increased. Furthermore, the programme aims at creating and securing existing jobs in the supported women-led businesses, enhancing their capacities and promoting their growth path. 

Goodwell Investments
Goodwell Investments is a pioneering impact investment firm focused on inclusive growth in sectors providing basic goods and services and income generation opportunities to underserved communities in Africa and India. The firm provides early-stage equity to high growth, high impact businesses. With teams in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the Netherlands and a track record of  over twenty years, Goodwell demonstrates the ability to simultaneously deliver significant social impact and strong financial returns. Since 2009, Goodwell has partnered with Alitheia Capital to identify and manage investments in West Africa, including uMunthu II – Goodwell’s latest EUR 150 million fund.

European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit. 

Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS)
Comprised of 79 Member States from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) strives to achieve the sustainable development of its members and their progressive integration into the world economy. 

GIZ
As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ is dedicated to building a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security.  

The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from our services. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party.