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African Guarantee Fund and Vista Group Holding Partner to Boost Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and Women-led Businesses Financing in West Africa

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African Guarantee Fund

The partnership leverages the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program that aims to unlock up to USD 3 billion in financing for Women SMEs in Africa

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LOME, Togo, January 16, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) (www.AGF.africa) has signed a landmark partnership agreement with Vista Group Holding to accelerate access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) including women-led businesses in four West African countries: Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.

This collaboration will see AGF provide a loan portfolio guarantee of USD 50 million to support Vista Group Holding’s lending activities to SMEs across its network in the four target countries. The partnership aims to unlock growth opportunities for West Africa’s SMEs by scaling up SME financing and contributing to economic development in the region.

By focusing on underserved markets, the partnership will promote financial inclusion by increasing access to finance for entrepreneurs, including women-owned SMEs, green businesses, and youth entrepreneurs. The AGF’s risk-sharing guarantee will mitigate potential risks associated with SME lending, bolstering the financial stability of Vista Group and its subsidiaries.

“We are excited to partner with Vista Group, one of the largest leading players in the West African banking landscape,” said Jules Ngankam, Group Chief Executive Officer, AGF. “This collaboration will leverage our combined expertise and resources to unlock the immense potential of SMEs in the region, drive inclusive economic growth through increased access to financing.”

As a catalyst for regional collaboration, the partnership aligns with both AGF’s mission to promote economic development and reduce poverty in Africa, and Vista Bank Group’s ambition to become a leading pan-African financial institution focused on economic and financial inclusion.

This aligns with our goal to expand our footprint beyond the Guinean Market to ECOWAS and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMAC)

Yao Kouassi, Managing Director of Vista Group Holding, added, “Partnering with AGF is a significant step in our mission to empower SMEs and contribute to financial inclusion across West Africa. This facility will enable us to expand our reach and provide crucial financial support to businesses that are driving economic development in these countries. This aligns with our goal to expand our footprint beyond the Guinean Market to ECOWAS and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CAEMAC).”

Additionally, the partnership leverages the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program that aims to unlock up to USD 3 billion in financing for Women SMEs in Africa through financial institutions.

“This partnership reflects the commitment of the African Development Bank, especially through the AFAWA initiative, to empower women entrepreneurs while promoting economic growth in the West African region,” said African Development Bank’s Togo Office Country Manager, Wilfrid Abiola, after the ceremony.  

“With 20% of this transaction allocated to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises, along with tailored technical assistance support provided by AFAWA, Vista Group Holding is taking the commitment to de-risk women-led businesses in their portfolio and making great strides in transforming access to finance for women-led small and medium enterprises in low-income countries and fragile states,” Abiola added. 

AGF will also avail a capacity development program tailored to each subsidiary based on their needs to further enhance the impact of the guarantee.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in AGF’s and Vista Bank Group’s commitment to supporting SMEs and driving inclusive economic growth in West Africa. By working together, the two organizations will empower entrepreneurs, create jobs, and contribute to a more prosperous future for the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Guarantee Fund.

Business

Canada–Africa Financing Forum to Convene Investors and Decision-Makers in Cape Town – May 14, 2026

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Ateau Zola

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships

TORONTO, Canada, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –The Canada–Africa Chamber of Business (https://CanadaAfrica.ca) will convene investors, financiers, policymakers, and industry leaders in Cape Town on May 14, 2026 for the Canada–Africa Financing Forum—a high-level platform focused on unlocking capital and accelerating deal flow across African markets.

Registration is open (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

This timely Forum comes on the heels of commitments announced by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, deepening Canada–Africa commercial ties and expanding investment partnerships. The program connects leaders from venture capital, private equity, and institutional investors to examine where capital is moving—and where the next opportunities lie—supported by Canadian project partners with proven capacity to deliver on-the-ground.

Delegates will engage directly with finance and investment decision-makers, following the program opening, featuring messages from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Mark Carney, in addition to high-level Ministerial representation.

This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation

“This Forum is about capital deployment, not just conversation,” said Garreth Bloor, President of the Canada–Africa Chamber of Business. “We are convening investors, institutions, and project leaders who are actively shaping transactions across Africa—and connecting them directly with Canadian partners who are ready to work together.”

The Canada–Africa Financing Forum reflects the Chamber’s role as a privately financed, market-led platform advancing Canada-Africa trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.

Why Attend

  • Direct access to active dealmakers and capital allocators
  • Insights into where capital is being deployed and key players delivering major projects
  • Opportunities to build partnerships across Canada and African markets
  • Participation in a curated, high-level environment focused on execution

Secure Your Place

Space is limited and demand is strong.

Apply to secure your place (http://apo-opa.co/4vXb9oz)

Read More and View the Program (http://apo-opa.co/4vZN6oV)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

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ORUN and 1xBET Partner to Support a Dynamic Creative Africa

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MIR Holding

During the MASA 2026 edition, held from April 11 to 18, 2026, ORUN and 1xBET implemented the We Champion Talent program, an initiative aimed at promoting African talent and advancing the development of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs)

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –As part of the Innovation Village co-organized with MASA at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan from April 14 to 18, ORUN (https://ORUN.Africa) announces the rollout of its partnership with 1xBET to support a creative Africa that is structuring itself, professionalizing, and scaling across the continent.

We aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency

Designed as a space of convergence between heritage, innovation, and knowledge transmission, the Innovation Village features scenography crafted by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses on creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a major institutional highlight on April 17. Its narrative platform is built around three pillars: memory, structure, and transmission. The initiative aims to position cultural and creative industries as an economic driver for the continent.

“The Innovation Village was conceived as an act of construction. By partnering with organizations such as 1xBET, we aim to demonstrate that it is possible to support African talent, narratives, and creative ecosystems over the long term, with ambition and consistency,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

This vision aligns with ORUN’s broader ambition to produce, structure, and internationalize African creative industries through events, content, and strategic partnerships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ORUN, part of African Currency Network (ACN).

 

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MIR Holding Reaffirms Its Commitment to African Creative Industries Alongside ORUN at Marché des Arts du Spectacle Africain d’Abidjan (MASA) 2026

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MIR Holding

More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, April 28, 2026/APO Group/ –On the occasion of MASA 2026, held from April 11 to 18 in Abidjan, MIR Holding (https://MIRHolding.odoo.com) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of African creative industries by partnering with ORUN as part of the Innovation Village, hosted at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan. This presence reflects a clear intention to support the scaling of cultural and creative industries so they can fully contribute to job creation and value generation across the continent.

 

Co-organized by ORUN and MASA, the Innovation Village brought together over several days scenography designed by Ivorian artisans, a program of panels and masterclasses dedicated to creative industries, an immersive experience produced by Orun Studios, and a key institutional highlight on April 17.

At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains

Built around three pillars — memory, structure, and transmission — the initiative carried a renewed ambition for culture: positioning it as a concrete lever for economic structuring and African projection.

By supporting this initiative, MIR Holding aligns with a broader dynamic aimed at strengthening connections between creation, entrepreneurship, content, youth, and growth ecosystems. More than event support, this partnership reflects a commitment to backing platforms capable of structuring value chains, increasing the visibility of talent, and fostering the emergence of strong African creative infrastructures. MIR Holding stands among the main partners of the Village, alongside Africa Currency Network and other stakeholders engaged in this vision.

“With ORUN, we are not only seeking to make culture visible. We aim to help provide it with a framework, a reach, and a trajectory. What is at stake here is the continent’s ability to better transform its creative energy into sustainable value, real opportunities, and influence,” said Habyba Thiero, CEO of Africa Currency Network and President of ORUN.

Mouhamed Dieng, President of MIR Holding, added: “Supporting Africa’s creative industries is not about backing a secondary sector. It is about investing in one of the continent’s most powerful spaces for storytelling, youth, innovation, and competitiveness. At MIR Holding, we believe that Africa’s future will also be shaped by its ability to structure its narratives, its talent, and its creative value chains.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MIR Holding.

 

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