The African Development Bank and AXIAN Group have launched a new digital finance programme aimed at supporting more than 34,000 women-led businesses across Africa.
The initiative is designed to improve access to finance, digital tools and business support for women entrepreneurs, addressing one of the major challenges limiting the growth of women-owned enterprises across the continent.
Programme Targets Five African Countries
The programme will operate through AXIAN's digital financial services platforms, Mixx and Mvola, and will combine digital lending with financial literacy, entrepreneurship training and digital inclusion initiatives.
One component will provide tailored digital financial products and services to 34,000 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Madagascar, Tanzania and Senegal.
A separate training component will provide financial literacy, digital skills and entrepreneurship education to 25,000 women across Madagascar, Tanzania, Senegal, Togo and Comoros.
Closing Africa's Women's Financing Gap
Africa has one of the world's highest rates of female entrepreneurship, but women entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers when seeking formal financing.
The African Development Bank estimates that women-owned businesses across Africa face a financing gap of approximately $49 billion.
The new programme aims to address this challenge by using mobile money, digital lending and alternative credit assessment tools to reach entrepreneurs who may have limited access to conventional financial services.
Focus on Digital and Financial Inclusion
The initiative will focus on five key areas:
- Expanding digital finance for women-led businesses
- Improving financial and digital literacy
- Developing financial products suited to women entrepreneurs
- Increasing digital inclusion through mobile technology
- Helping women-owned businesses enter and grow within the formal economy
Erwan Gelebart, CEO of AXIAN Digibank and Fintech, said the programme is intended to help women entrepreneurs build stronger businesses, create jobs and participate more fully in the digital economy.
Melissa Basque-Roux, Coordinator of the African Development Bank's AFAWA initiative, said the partnership would help expand tailored financial services, strengthen financial literacy and create new opportunities for women-led businesses.
The programme builds on the African Development Bank's earlier support for AXIAN Telecom. In January 2025, the Bank approved a $160 million senior corporate loan to support digital connectivity and financial inclusion across nine African countries, including dedicated funding for 22,000 women entrepreneurs in Madagascar.
As Africa's digital economy continues to expand, the partnership highlights the growing role of technology in making financial services more accessible to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
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