The International Finance Corporation’s  Africa Leasing Facility program initially launched in 2008 has pushed scaling up for more than 6,500 businesses across Africa. A five-year initiative for sub-saharan countries including Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania, the program has proven to open the gate for SME leasing and legislation reform.

“Improving the access to finance means that companies can grow, that they can create jobs and they have income,” Liliana de Sa Kirchknoepf SECO Switzerland’s head of private sector cooperation and development said. “That leads ultimately to a reduction of poverty and inequalities.”