Finance is available in many forms and businesses looking for finance are well advised to do their homework and ensure the finance they obtain is suited to their needs and their business.
There is much talk about billions of dollars available to initiate and capacitate businesses throughout Africa - yet access to this finance remains elusive. The Foundation for the Development of Africa recognizes that access to finance, or the lack thereof, especially for the micro, small and medium enterprises, is a major stumbling block in the development of Africa. This may be one of the most crucial yet most frustrating aspects of business development.
As such, the FDA is proud to make this Access to Finance sector on our website, as we continue to contribute to sustainable development of our continent.
The sector includes listings of organisations that have finance and financial services available, ranging from General Banks, which offer loans with fixed repayment periods to Commercial banks, Asset based financiers and Corporate and Merchant banks. In addition, there are angel investors (private individuals) and Venture Capital providers, who offer finance through loans or equity.
We also include Foreign Capital providers and Government-backed Institutions, such as the South African Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) that finance opportunities in the form incentives or grants.
Other avenues, operating from Southern Africa, include the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Programme (SMEDP), Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) and International Tourism Marketing Assistance Scheme (ITMAS).
The Industrial Development Corporation and Development Bank of SA are both active in financing business start-ups, as are the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the South African Government's youth initiative, Umsobomvu Youth Fund. NEF Ventures is a ZAR200-million joint venture between the NEF and the IDC.
Despite the predominance of finance institutions in Southern Africa, we also include with great pride some finance institutions in the rest of Africa.
http://www.did.qc.ca/Ang/resultats/interventions/afrique.html Développement international Desjardins
African - Développement international Desjardins is a Canadian institution that specializes in providing technical support and investment to the community finance sector in emerging or developing countries.
http://www.opt-init.org/framework/pages/appendix2Case1.html Pride Africa
Pride Africa is the largest micro-finance institution in East Africa and is addressing this challenge in an innovative way. The organization has lending operations in five countries, a client base of 100,000, and reaches some of the poorest of the poor. Pride Africa's average loan size is US$125, and these loans finance everything from trading operations to production of foodstuffs to manufacturing of clothing.
http://www.adf.gov/ African Development Foundation ADF
African Development Foundation ADF believes that local communities are a vital source of ideas and energy for development. The Foundation makes grants directly to African enterprises and non-governmental organizations; none of its resources pass through government agencies or international organizations. ADF has been a pioneer in promoting participatory development. All ADF-funded projects are "made in Africa" - proposed, designed, and implemented by the beneficiaries themselves, with any needed technical assistance and training provided entirely by local experts. ADF's participatory development approach builds local capacity and promotes self-help by unleashing entrepreneurial spirit and mobilizing community resources. ADF's efforts complement larger, government-to-government assistance programs by tackling problems "from the ground up" and developing new models of participatory development that can be replicated on a larger scale by other grassroots groups and communities, local and international private sector entities, and other development assistance agencies.
ADF has launched T&I programs in Uganda, Namibia and Zimbabwe, focused on assisting small-scale producers to grow, process and export a variety of primary commodities, including paprika, vanilla, silk, fish, meat and other livestock products, rock lobster, salt, and table grapes. ADF conducted rigorous financial analyses and market surveys as part of the design and approval process, similar to what a venture capital firm would undertake to fund an activity.
All of Africa must take hands and become united in her efforts to implement this important AFRICAN RENEWAL PROGRAMME! Africa will succeed!
Lets create an investment climate through positive participation - Lets initiate and implement business projects, no matter how insignificant, that would lead to ‘job creation’ (employment opportunities) that would therefore ultimately stimulate our Africa economy - that would lead to prosperity.
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA provides this 'platform' to allow the "you and I" to participate in this development process and to allow the world to showcase products and/or services that will add value to (Africa's) sustainable development!
We prefer the phrase "Lets create wealth" as it 'rings' a more positive message than the "Lets alleviate poverty" approach!
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA
provides this trading platform, as mandated, to enhance and facilitate trade throughout Africa.
This trading platform is currently accumulating data, using a custom designed MySQL technology that will ultimately lead to the largest database of PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SERVING AFRICA from agriculture, to auditors, to chemicals, to engineering and financial services, to textiles and tourism.
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA is a private, 'not-for-profit', non-membership, organisation actively serving Africa by promoting processes conducive to sustainable development ......throughout Africa - with the emphasis on sustainability! This organisation is currently rated as one of the most proactive Sustainable Business Development Organisations in Africa! Serving Africa since 1999.
We are actively involved with promoting the
AFRICAN RENEWAL PROGRAMME
However -
We firmly believe that sustainable development is a process that must start from within - Africa needs to "partner" with herself first!
We also prefer the phrase: "Lets create wealth" rather than "Lets alleviate poverty"
Our initiatives include enabler 'showcasing'; networking opportunities; business opportunities; investment opportunities; promotion of special projects; dissemination of business information; joint venture initiatives and a range of value added services - all to serve AFRICA!
We facilitate processes, including networking sessions that would lead to sustainable development, hence our motto:
"Nothing is as ‘powerful’ as the Human Network"
"Sustainable Development is the action and/or act of bringing people and/or processes into position for the effective use in the support and/or delivery of efforts, conducts and the cause!"
