The Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA) — one of Ghana’s most active agribusiness investors and a backer of Complete Farmer, Mariseth Farms, Oyster Agribusiness, Kuapa Kokoo, and Idan Agro — has secured $10m from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund.
Managed by Sahel Capital, SEFAA plans to deepen its reach across 13 countries, helping more SMEs grow and creating an estimated 10,000 new jobs in the process.
Launched in 2021 with $24 million anchored by KfW Development Bank, SEFAA provides structured debt and flexible capital to early-stage and growth agribusinesses ; enterprises that are often deemed “too risky” for traditional finance despite their critical role in food security. Across sub-Saharan Africa, the fund has disbursed 33 facilities to 18 companies in seven countries.
“This $10m commitment is a testament to the impact we’ve achieved so far,” said Mezuo Nwuneli, Managing Partner at Sahel Capital. “It will accelerate our work in improving income opportunities for smallholder farmers by enabling the agri-SMEs they depend on to scale sustainably.”
For MEDA and the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, which aims to unlock $200m for African SMEs, the deal aligns with their mission of catalysing inclusive economic growth. “This partnership strengthens our shared goal of empowering women and youth by financing enterprises that are building resilient agricultural ecosystems,” said Dorothy Nyambi, President and CEO of MEDA.
