Browsing: Asante Financial Services Group

The Asante Financial Services Group (Asante) closed the first tranche of US$7.5m Series A funding. The funding is meant to bridge the gap in MSME lending in Africa. www.theexchange.africa

According to the World Bank, the annual SME credit gap in Sub Saharan Africa is about US$330 million. MSMEs are often neglected by lenders due to a combination of factors.

These include the high cost of customer acquisition and due diligence, insufficient data availability for accurate credit assessments, lack of collaterals, uncertain customer lifetime values, and the high costs of distribution and servicing. There is a large opportunity for lenders who are able to overcome these challenges.…