At the State Dept., Contributing to an Impact Economy
Today at the US State Department in Washington, D.C., we are convening leaders across sectors and continents to discuss how we can work together to contribute to an impact economy by developing and deploying cutting-edge business and financial models that generate financial returns and positive social and environmental change. During our travels around the world, […]
Investing with Impact: Building Partnerships for a Better Tomorrow
Kris Balderston, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships, will hold a conversation with Kirsty Jenkinson, Director, Markets & Enterprise Program, World Resources Institute on “Investing with Impact: Building Partnerships for a Better Tomorrow.” The conversation will highlight how government and business are working together to promote lasting change and innovation around the globe. The discussion, […]
Trends and Results in Private Sector Development: Reforming the Business Environment
The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) organised a Seminar on trends and results in private sector development (PSD), in January 2012. It focused on what we are learning about results and in part on the DCED Standard for results measurement. There were around 100 participants from 32 countries, representing 54 different organisations, field programmes […]
ANDE Celebrates its Third Anniversary
Last week, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) celebrated its third anniversary. As often happens with milestones, for me it was a time to reflect. ANDE is a network of organizations that support small and growing businesses (SGBs) and entrepreneurship in developing and emerging markets. I was first exposed to this idea in the […]
Trends and Results in Private Sector Development: TradeMark East Africa
The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) organised a Seminar on trends and results in private sector development (PSD), in January 2012. It focused on what we are learning about results and in part on the DCED Standard for results measurement. There were around 100 participants from 32 countries, representing 54 different organisations, field programmes […]
Realising Everyone’s Potential to Work their Way out of Poverty
Two weeks ago I went to Bosnia, the latest country to join lendwithcare.org – CARE International UK’s leading new micro-lending website. Landing in Sarajevo 19 years after I was last there during the war, I was quite surprised to see a lot of buildings and infrastructure are still in the same poor condition as they […]
CDC Sets Up Pragati to Invest in India’s Poorest States
India’s rapid economic growth has been well documented. As has its space programme, aid programme and the number of billionaires who hail from the world’s largest democracy. But India remains a country of stark contrasts, as anyone who has travelled there can attest. According to the Multidimensional Poverty Index developed by the Oxford Poverty and […]
How Can The UK's Department For International Development Harness The Diaspora For Africa's Development?
How Can The UK’s Department For International Development Harness The Diaspora For Africa’s Development?
Seeking Great Business Ideas for Investment
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), which invests in businesses wishing to implement commercially viable and high development impact projects in Africa, is launching three new competitions to spur business innovation and investment in: agribusiness development across Sub-Saharan Africa; renewable energy and adaptation to help small farmers in East Africa to adapt to climate change; […]
An Introduction to the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
Hugh Scott, Director of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund outlined the AECF at an event co-hosted with Business Action for Africa on 10 November 2011. To listed to audio of Hugh’s presentation, click here. The event marked the London launch of three new funding windows – on agribusiness, South Sudan and renewable energy / adaptation […]
Zidisha.org Facilitates $100,000 in P2P Microloans, “Turns Microfinance On Its Head”
While conducting fieldwork for a microfinance organization in West Africa in 2006, Zidisha.org founder Julia Kurnia noticed something startling. Loans that were funded at zero interest by well-meaning participants in the popular microlending website Kiva.org were costing the impoverished beneficiaries more than 35% on average in interest and fees. The exorbitant rates were charged by […]
CDC appoints new Chief Executive
CDC, the UK’s development finance institution (DFI), has appointed Diana Noble as its new Chief Executive Officer. Noble joins the organisation at a time of significant change, with a new business plan published earlier this year in response to a major review by the Department for International Development (DFID). As well as acting as a […]
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund Launches New South Sudan Funding Window
‘South Sudan: Wide open for Business’ read a recent headline on the Africa Business magazine. Juba and indeed South Sudan is bustling with activity. Driving through the capital city and to areas as far as Rock City, one can feel the developing vibrant business environment. The overwhelming response at the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund launch […]
The World Bank and IFC launch the 2012 Doing Business Report
By Pauline Zalkin, Business Fights Poverty Did you know that Morocco is the most improved economy in ease of doing business this year? Or that Korea has entered the top 10 economies for ease of doing business? Would you have guessed that Singapore leads the pack as the number 1 easiest country to do business? […]
Is Business the New Aid?
Recently I had the opportunity to join a panel discussion organised by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) held in the margins of the just-completed series of UK Political Party Conferences (I spoke at the Liberal Democrat Party and Labour Party Conference Fringe Events; Sue Clark, Corporate Affairs Director of SABMiller, and board member of […]
The AECF and its anticipated impact as a market shaping, pro-poor innovation fund
A thought leadership paper by Corin Mitchell and Hugh Scott of KPMG Development Advisory Services. The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) supports innovative business ideas, in the areas of agribusiness, rural financial services, and renewable energy that are commercially viable and will have the biggest development impact on rural Africans. The AECF is explained in […]
Monitise Granted Licence to Bring Mobile Money to Nigeria
Monitise plc, the technology company delivering mobile banking, payments and commerce networks worldwide, is set to build Nigeria’s first mobile shared financial services platform after being granted a Mobile Payment System Provider licence to provide mobile money services by the country’s Central Bank. The Monitise technology platform is designed to be shared by various banks […]
The Socio-Economic Impact of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited
Earlier this month, Professor Ethan Kapstein launched his latest report quantifying the impact of business on development – this time on Newmont Mining in Ghana. (See my previous blog about his studies on SABMiller, Standard Chartered and Unilever). The impact of mining on local communities and the wider economy has been the subject of much […]
Microfinance Voices//10 Questions with Ranya Abdel-Baki
The Gateway is pleased to announce our latest Microfinance Voices article, 10 Questions with Ranya Abdel-Baki is now online. This article focuses on how MFIs in the MENA region have been affected by the “Arab Spring”. As protests have shaken up the region both politically and economically, MFIs are working not only to survive institutionally […]