AXIAN Group, the pan-African business conglomerate, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have launched a major women’s financial inclusion programme aimed at broadening access to financing and business support for more than 34,000 women-led enterprises across five African countries.
Backed by the AfDB’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), the programme is designed to address one of the most persistent obstacles facing women-owned businesses on the continent: limited access to capital.
Africa records the highest rate of female entrepreneurship globally. Yet women business owners continue to face an estimated financing gap of US$49 billion.
The programme will be delivered through AXIAN Group’s digital financial services platforms, Mixx and MVola, integrating digital lending, financial literacy training, business development services, and digital inclusion initiatives to help women entrepreneurs scale their operations and improve their access to formal financial services.
The programme comprises two complementary components. The first will provide tailored digital financial products and services to 34,000 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises led by women in Madagascar, Tanzania, and Senegal. The second will deliver financial literacy, digital skills, and entrepreneurship training to 25,000 women across Madagascar, Tanzania, Senegal, Togo, and the Comoros.
The programme will leverage mobile money services, digital credit solutions, and alternative credit assessment capabilities to reach women entrepreneurs who have traditionally been underserved by conventional financial systems.
Women-owned businesses represent one of Africa’s largest untapped economic opportunities, yet they continue to face barriers in accessing the financial tools needed to expand, create jobs, and contribute more fully to their local economies. Through this partnership, AXIAN and the African Development Bank aim to change that.
“Across Africa, millions of women are already running successful businesses. The challenge is not entrepreneurship. It is access to financing, digital tools, and growth opportunities,” said Erwan Gelebart, CEO of AXIAN Digibank and Fintech. “Through Mixx and MVola, we are using technology and financial innovation to support women entrepreneurs in building stronger businesses, creating jobs, and participating more fully in the digital economy. This programme is designed to unlock opportunities at scale,” he added.
Melissa Basque-Roux, coordinator of the AfDB’s AFAWA initiative, said that while women entrepreneurs are central to Africa’s economic transformation, many still face barriers in accessing the financing, digital tools, and business support they need to grow.
“Through AFAWA and We-Fi, the African Development Bank is pleased to support this partnership with AXIAN, Mixx, and MVola, which will expand tailored digital financial services, strengthen financial literacy, and open new opportunities for women-led businesses across the continent,” she said.
“Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world, yet women business owners still face an estimated financing gap of US$49 billion.”
The programme will focus on five priorities: expanding access to digital financing for women-led businesses, strengthening financial and digital literacy, developing financial products adapted to women entrepreneurs, accelerating digital inclusion through mobile technology, and supporting women-owned businesses in transitioning to and succeeding within the formal economy.
Implementation will be led by Mixx and MVola in partnership with local operational companies in each participating country, combining regional expertise with national-level execution to maximise impact and reach.
The initiative builds on the AfDB’s broader support to AXIAN Telecom. In January 2025, the Bank approved a senior corporate loan of US$160 million to expand digital connectivity and financial inclusion across nine African countries, including dedicated financing for 22,000 women entrepreneurs in Madagascar.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to grow, AXIAN and the African Development Bank believe technology plays a central role in building a more inclusive financial system — equipping women entrepreneurs with the tools, capital, and skills needed to build sustainable businesses and create employment.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/03/mundo/africa/africa-programa-da-axian-e-bad-procura-colmatar-defice-de-49-mm-no-financiamento-as-mulheres/
