Mariseth Farms has secured a $560,000 working capital loan from Sahel Capital, through its Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA), to scale its crop aggregation operations and expand fair market access for over 8,000 smallholder farmers, many of whom are women.
Renaissance Law Chambers advised SEFAA on the transaction, while Pangea Global Ventures acted as financial advisor to Mariseth.
Founded in 2016, Mariseth Farms operates across several regions in Ghana, sourcing soybeans, maize, rice, and palm fruit from rural farmers and supplying them to FMCG companies. The company has built a reputation for prioritizing equitable engagement with smallholders, especially women, who are often excluded from traditional market systems.
Marian Ofori Twumasi, the CEO, described the partnership with SEFAA as a significant milestone for her team and their operations in Ghana. She emphasized the persistent neglect of female farmers within the agricultural ecosystem, despite their major contributions to output and labour. With SEFAA’s support, the company aims to deepen its impact by improving economic outcomes for over 8,000 farmers over the investment period. The partnership is expected to boost access to fair income, increase farmers’ disposable earnings, and enhance productivity over time.
According to Deji Adebusoye, Partner at Sahel Capital, the investment aligns closely with SEFAA’s mission to enhance livelihoods through inclusive agribusiness models.
“MARISETH plays a critical role in improving income outcomes for female farmers in Ghana. During our due diligence, we discovered that the company had onboarded and provided fair market access to more than 6,800 female farmers. This milestone is the result of an inclusive and intentional strategy championed by Mariam Ofori.”
The company’s model includes engaging farmers early—before and during planting seasons—to ensure they use improved inputs and are better prepared for climate and market challenges.
