3 mins in Development Finance/ wk 10
8 min readMar 16, 2021
My weekly reading list for those interested in development finance and Impact investing focused on developing countries.
IFC and World Bank
- (08.03.21) Women Can Be Fired for Pregnancy in 28 Nations, Says World Bank’s Reinhart | BNN Bloomberg
- (08.03.21) IFC Invests in Bolt to Expand Mobility Solutions, Boosting Earning Opportunities and Facilitating More Inclusive Transport in Emerging Markets | The Financial
- (08.03.21) Harvesting Stability for India’s Salt Farmers | IFC
- (08.03.21) A Woman’s Fight to Make Her Way In Mali’s Beef Industry | IFC
- (08.03.21) IFC Partners with Colombo Stock Exchange to Ring the Bell for Gender Equality in Sri Lanka | IFC
- (08.03.21) World Bank, Green Climate Fund provide Vietnam with US$86.3 million to spur energy efficiency investments | The Worlds Bank
- (08.03.21) Time for bold action to advance gender parity in Mozambique | The World Bank
- (08.03.21) Enabling Women to Work and Their Children to Blossom: The Double Success Story of Mobile Childcare in Burkina Faso | The World Bank
- (09.03.21) Key to resolving COVID’s global debt crunch: transparency | The World Bank
- (09.03.21) World Bank Helps Bangladesh Improve Irrigation-based Agricultural Productivity | The World Bank
- (09.03.21) IFC and IFC Financial Institutions Growth Fund Invest in Fintech Adumo to Boost Digital Payment Solutions in Africa | IFC
- (09.03.21) Seamless Transport Connectivity Can Create Significant Economic Gains for Bangladesh and India | The World Bank
- (09.03.21) World Bank Approves $105 Million Project to Strengthen Solid Waste Management Systems in Kerala, India | The World Bank
- (10.03.21) UAE: The sky is the limit for gender reform |The World Bank
- (10.03.21) IFC Invests in Savannah Fund to Support Africa’s Early-Stage Tech Funding Growth | IFC
- (10.03.21) IFC Partners with Health Care Companies to Strengthen Women’s Leadership Roles | IFC
- (10.03.21) Living Off the Land: Land Allocation in Cambodia Provides Safety Net to Workers Hit by COVID-19 | The World Bank
- (11.03.21) VIDEO — Battling Kenya’s Plastic Waste: Young Kenyan Woman is Transforming Waste into Sustainable and Affordable Building Materials | The World Bank
- (13.03.21) Lighting Up Rural Communities in Bangladesh: The Second Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project | The World Bank
- (14.03.21) IFC, Dhaka Stock Exchange, and United Nations Push for Gender-Equal, Post-COVID Future with 6th Annual Ring the Bell Event in Bangladesh | IFC
ADB
- (07.03.21) ADB sets $80-billion climate financing target | BusinessWorld
- (08.03.21) VIDEO — ADB’s Partnership with PRC to Focus on High-Quality, Green Development | The Asian Development Bank
- (08.03.21) VIDEO- ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy for the People’s Republic of China 2021–2025 | The Asian Development Bank
- (10.03.21) ADB sells 5-year, 2 bln yuan panda bond with 3.2% coupon -sources | Nasdaq
- (12.03.21) ADB approves first loan under its COVID-19 vaccine access facility to the Philippines | Devex
- (12.03.21) VIDEO — Financing for Tech Startups | The Asian Development Bank
AfDB
- (08.03.21) Egypt: AfDB funds sanitation infrastructure for rural communities | ESI Africa
- (08.03.21) AfDB Approves $27 Million for the Development of a 200 MW Solar Project in Egypt | Mercom India
- (08.03.21) Nigeria: AfDB Approves U.S.$1,3 Million Research Grant to Aid Financial Inclusion in Nigeria, Two Others | allAfrica.com
- (09.03.21) Mozambique: African Development Bank purchases temporary bridges to replace infrastructure destroyed in cyclones | Africanews
- (09.03.21) African Development Bank named the World’s Best Multilateral Financial Institution 2021 by Global Finance | African Development Bank
- (10.03.21) African Development Bank provides $1 million for AI-based national customer management systems in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia | The African Development Bank
- (10.03.21) Ethiopia: African Development Bank approves $2.33 million grant to support the modernization of electronic payments infrastructure | The African Development Bank
- (11.03.21) Strengthening food systems must be at the centre of Africa’s COVID-19 recovery, says African Development Bank | African Development Bank
- (13.03.21) African economies likely to rebound 3.4% this year, AfDB says | Reuters
EIB
- (08.03.21) VIDEO — 2x Challenge Financing for Women initiative — Food Concepts Plc | EIB
- (08.03.21) Benin: Thousands of businesses benefit from first partnership between EIB and Vital Finance Benin | EIB
- (09.03.21) SENEGAL: EIB supports economic recovery through water and waste | Afrik 21
- (10.03.21) EIB: Morocco received €617 Mln in 2020 to support health sector, SMEs & agribusiness | The North Africa Post
- (11.03.21) VIDEO — Providing access to healthcare for Moroccan citizens — Hospital of Salé | EIB
EBRD
- (08.03.21) Breaking the glass ceiling at EBRD | The Financial
- (10.03.21) How women-led businesses across EBRD’s regions are thriving against the odds | The Financial
- (13.03.21) EBRD and Green Climate Fund extend cooperation by US$ 500 million | The Financial
CDC
- (05.03.21) Disability inclusion guidance for companies | CDC Group
- (09.03.21) CDC Group makes USD20m follow-on investment in Ecom Express | Private Equity Wire
- (10.03.21) Impact investing in a post-COVID world: driving lasting change in developing countries | CDC Group
DEG
- (10.03.21) European DFIs invest $100m in Equity Group | Africa Global Funds
- (10.03.21) Liquid Telecommunication’s bond subscribed by DEG | DEG
- (11.03.21) How an entrepreneur shifted dynamics in the Ghanaian energy sector | How we Made it in Africa
- (13.03.21) Temasek-backed Openspace Ventures closes third S-E Asia fund at US$200m, Companies & Markets | The Business Times
DFC
- (08.03.21) How Kinara Capital’s Hardika Shah was inspired to help small business entrepreneurs dream big | Your Story
- (09.03.21) Solar Energy Transformation Fund gets oversubscribed at final close | Africa Global Funds
- (09.03.21) DFC Approves New Investments to Advance Sustainable Economic Development, Respond to COVID-19, and Advance Gender Equity | DFC
- (10.03.21) Nairobi’s Sunfunder sets up $70m pot for solar and storage in Africa and Asia | pv magazine International
- (12.03.21) Biden’s plan to eliminate fossil fuels won’t work in Africa | Quartz
FMO
- (08.03.21) Philips and FMO combine forces to accelerate universal health coverage in Africa | FMO
- (10.09.21) MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Platform Nomanini Secures $500k from FMO; Connecting MSMEs to Retail Distributors, MSME Customers to Financial Services in South Africa | MicroCapital
- (12.0.21) UK and Dutch Development Bank FMO partner to Mobilise Finance for Forests FMO
FinDEV
Finnfund
Norfund
- (08.03.21) Norfund to Invest up to 9.99% in National Development Bank PLC | Nation Online
- (08.03.21) MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CDC, FinnFund Lend $25m to Kashf Foundation for Microfinance for Women in Pakistan | MicroCapital
PROPARCO
Misc Content in Development Finance
- (09.03.21) Singapore’s Temasek allots $500 million for impact investing in LeapFrog tie-up | Reuters
- (09.03.21) Eight Finance Pros Share Their Go-To Resources On Impact Investing | Forbes
- (10.03.21) Rethinking impact: Investing in the circular economy to fight climate change — Opinion | The Jakarta Post
- (12.03.21) Why track records matter in impact investing | Greenbiz
- (12.03.21) The Week in Impact Investing: Bottom-up | Impact Alpha
Misc Technology
- (22.02.21) Vestas Ventures to Invests in Wood Technology Start-up Modvion | Energy Industry Review
- (08.03.21) JD’s Fintech Arm Likely to Withdraw China IPO, SCMP Says | BNN Bloomberg
- (08.03.21) Technology deals shine across slower African deal landscape | Private Equity News
- (10.03.21) This ex-banker’s agri-fintech startup has disbursed loans worth Rs 6,000 Cr to 4M farmers | Your Story
- (10.03.21) Experian and FinScore to raise financial inclusion in the Philippines via alternative credit scoring | Finextra
- (10.03.21) How Fintech Is Evolving In 2021 | Forbes
- (10.03.21) African fintech startup secures $170-million | Ventureburn
- (10.03.21) WHITE PAPER — At a Crossroads: The Next Chapter for FinTech in China | World Economic Forum
- (10.03.21) SA fintech firm gets R225m funding boost | Independent Online South Africa
- (12.03.21) The lowdown on impact investing and how it holdings companies to account
- (12.03.21) Why is Nigeria’s fintech revolution win the race? | The Africa Report
- (12.03.21) The role of fintech in shaping the post-pandemic business world | YourStory
- (12.03.21) Ant Group Imposes New Fintech Rules on Itself to Avoid Regulators’ Ire | Caixin Global
- (13.03.21) ‘India fintech valuation may reach $160 billion’ | The Hindu
Misc Gender
- (08.03.21) PODCAST — The Brief: Rodney Foxworth on reparative investing, SunFunder’s solar transformation, equity crowdfunding in Africa, celebrating international women | Impact Alpha
- (08.03.21) How digital identity is the catalyst for increasing financial inclusion among women | Finextra
- (08.03.21) How India could speed up the financial inclusion of women | Mint
- (08.03.21) Sustainable Finance Geneva launches a Gender Lens Initiative for Switzerland | Sustainable Finance Geneva
- (09.03.21) Your deal flow is not diverse enough | TechCrunch
- (11.03.21) Promoting women’s financial inclusion | The New Times, Rwanda
- (11.03.21) Advisers cannot afford to ignore LGBT+ client base ｜ FTAdviser.com
- (12.03.21) Finance’s new normal must include more female leadership | Fintech Magazine
- (12.03.21) Goldman Sachs to invest billions in Black women | Marketplace
- (14.03.21) ED: Investing in girls pays dividends | Dhaka Tribune
Misc Sustainability
- (08.03.21) Breaking the ESG myths | The Asset
- (08.03.21) Comment: Why SFDR is a gamechanger for the ESG landscape | International Investment
- (09.03.21) Climate finance: What are the ‘known unknowns’? | Brookings
- (10.03.21) The problem with linking debt forgiveness to the Sustainable Development Goals | Brookings
- (10.03.21) How Sustainable And ESG Focused Is Your Fund? | Forbes
- (14.03.21) DISCUSSION PAPER: Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD): Game changer or mirage? | ReliefWeb
Subscription Required
- (07.03.21) IMF, World Bank Need Transparency on Covid’s Global Debt Crunch | Bloomberg
- (07.03.21) Emerging Markets Outlook: Africa | Wall Street Journal
- (08.03.21) World Bank Says Pregnancy Can Get Women Fired in 38 Nations | Bloomberg
- (09.03.21) VIDEO: EU to Make Fund Managers Back Up Sustainability Claims | Wall Street Journal
- (10.03.21) The Tech Stocks Rebound Is a Dinosaur Brain Event | Bloomberg
- (12.03.21) Want a greener world? Don’t dump oil stocks | Financial Times
- (12.03.21) IFC considers joining $180m financing for Vietnam-based GreenFeed | Deal Street Asia
- (12.03.21) How the Pandemic Accelerated Sustainable Investing | Barron’s
- (12.03.21) New EU Regulations on Sustainable Investing Could Hit U.S. Funds Soon | Barron’s
- (12.03.21) The Green Investing Standard That Could Set the Global Bar | Wall Street Journal
- (12.03.21) Cathie Wood: a tech investor doing God’s work | Financial Times
- (13.03.21) India Uses Digital Banking and Biometrics to Organize Its 1.3 Billion Population | Bloomberg
- (14.03.21) How ethical investing can be good for your portfolio | The Sunday Times
- (14.03.21) CFA offers certification in sustainable investing | Financial Times
Upcoming Webinar
- March 7 & 8: Proactive For Her
- March 24, 2021: Implementing the AfCFTA — The Need for Deepening Private Sector Engagement and Commitment | African Development Bank (AfDB), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Trade Centre (ITC)
“The panelists will reflect on: measures to promote the benefits of the AfCFTA among the private sector; suitable trade policies and regulations to make the AfCFTA work for the African business community; and steps to increase intra-African trade. They will also explore ways to boost the participation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and young entrepreneurs in the new single market to facilitate growth and enhance job creation.” - April 27, 2021: Ralph De Haas (EBRD) — Managerial and Financial Barriers to the Net-Zero Transition | Bank of Finland Research Institute **Abstract:** We use data on 11,233 firms across 22 emerging markets to analyze how credit constraints and low-quality firm management inhibit corporate investment in green technologies.
- June 22–25 : Sustainable Investment Festival — Registrations open!
Call for Essays for Conference
Food for Thought
If you have suggestions for articles that should be featured in future lists, please drop me a note and follow me on LinkedIn.
