SME financing - Sacco Review | The Leading Newspaper for Co-operative Movement in Kenya

Norway backs Kenyan SMEs through shared lending risks

Sacco ReviewNovember 12, 202605 mins

Norway is helping Kenyan blue economy businesses access loans by sharing lending risks with Equity Bank. The financing initiative has supported fishermen, fish farmers and seafood processors. The wider partnership targets SME growth, disability innovation and job creation. Equity Bank has issued 1,500 new loans to Kenyan blue economy businesses after Norway agreed to carry…

Only 19pc of Kenyan SMEs use integrated platforms

Sacco ReviewNovember 3, 202606 mins

Kenyan SMEs lag in adopting integrated digital business management platforms. Visa survey exposes gaps in financial record-keeping among small businesses. Lenders could benefit from better access to SME transaction data. Just 19 per cent of Kenyan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) run a platform that links their payments to wider business management, a new Visa…

Faulu Microfinance Bank turns focus to traders and SMEs

Sacco ReviewNovember 2, 202604 mins

Faulu is changing how it assesses SME borrowers who lack traditional security for loans. A new merchant platform will help businesses consolidate their income records for credit assessment. The lender is introducing flexible repayment arrangements to match different business revenue cycles. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that own no land or vehicles to pledge…

Kenya CEOs demand tax cuts, lower interest rates to ease costs

Sacco ReviewOctober 23, 202606 mins

Business leaders are pushing for changes to ease mounting pressure on enterprises. Financing challenges and regulatory hurdles remain key concerns for firms seeking to expand. CEOs want more predictable policies to support investment and business growth. More than 600 chief executive officers of private sector companies in Kenya are calling on the government to cut…

Trade credit from Saccos surges as wholesale leads growth

Sacco ReviewSeptember 10, 202604 mins

Trade lending by Saccos rises to Ksh19.03 billion Wholesale and retail loans jump 33% to Ksh13.25 billion Hospitality lending falls as foreign trade credit grows Kenya’s small traders and wholesalers found more room to borrow from Saccos this year, with trade sector lending climbing sharply as wholesale and retail businesses pulled in the lion’s share…

Absa Bank partners Simba Corporation to boost SME vehicle financing

Sacco ReviewAugust 21, 202604 mins

Absa and Simba Corp strike a deal to make vehicle financing more accessible to Kenyan businesses. SMEs can secure high financing for commercial vehicles, with repayment periods stretching several years. Schools purchasing buses will get full financing under terms designed to ease cash flow pressure. Absa Bank Kenya has partnered with local conglomerate Simba Corporation…

Unison Sacco hosts Nakuru business dinner forum to support SME growth

Sacco ReviewAugust 11, 202602 mins

Unison Sacco Society Ltd hosted a Business Community Dinner Forum in Nakuru, bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and key stakeholders to discuss opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and business growth. The forum focused on the financial needs of businesses, entrepreneurship development, networking, and strengthening partnerships that can support sustainable enterprise growth in Nakuru…

Experts call for deeper capital markets to fund SMEs

Sacco ReviewJuly 30, 202606 mins

Experts urge Kenya to deepen capital markets to unlock long term financing for SMEs. SMEs remain underserved as heavy reliance on bank lending limits access to affordable growth capital. Pension funds and institutional investors urged to channel more domestic savings into productive private sector investments instead of government securities. Industry experts have called on Kenya…

Kenya’s SMEs urged to embrace value addition despite funding gap

Sacco ReviewJuly 24, 202604 mins

SMEs urged to embrace value addition for sustainable growth. Industry leaders cite Ksh3 trillion SME financing gap. Stronger value chains and market access seen as key. Industry leaders speaking at the Third Annual Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Conference, Awards and Exhibition on July 23, 2026, encouraged SMEs to build value-added businesses, warning that the…

Co‑operative Bank named Africa’s SME bank of the year at African Banker Awards

Sacco ReviewMay 31, 202604 mins

The Co‑operative Bank of Kenya has been recognised as SME Bank of the Year in Africa, underscoring its growing influence as one of the continent’s leading financiers of small and medium‑sized enterprises. The award was presented during the 20th African Banker Awards held on the sidelines of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings in…