AfDB AFAWA (via partner banks: Absa, FirstRand/FNB)
AFAWA is a real African Development Bank initiative, but you cannot apply to the AfDB for a loan - AFAWA guarantees and funds commercial banks (via the African Guarantee Fund) so they lend more to women-owned businesses. In South Africa the AfDB has signed packages with Absa (R1.7 billion, 2024, with women-SME lending targets) and FirstRand (US$310 million, November 2025, focused on women-led MSMEs and agribusiness). Practical route: apply for business finance at Absa or FNB and ask about AfDB or AFAWA-backed women-SME facilities.
AfDBwomen-ownedAFAWA