3 mins in Development Finance/ wk 21
7 min readJun 2, 2021
My weekly reading list for those interested in development finance and Impact investing focused on developing countries.
IFC and World Bank
- (24.05.21) IFC to Invest $15 Million in a Fund For Clean Energy Projects in India and Bangladesh | Mercom India
- (24.05.21) Ramaphosa pushes for bigger share of World Bank and IMF funding | Business Tech
- (24.05.21) MTN South Africa, IFC to help underbanked in South Africa | ThePaypers
- (24.05.21) Support for Economic Post-Covid Recovery Through the Competitiveness of Senegalese Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises | The World Bank
- (25.05.21) IFC proposes $10 million loan to ACLEDA Bank Laos | Khmer Times
- (25.05.21) Integrated Diagnostics Company signs $45M financing agreement with IFC | EgyptToday
- (25.05.21) Mongolia: New World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework to Focus on Sustainable and Resilient Recovery | The World Bank
- (26.05.21) IFC Supports Wind Projects to Advance Renewable Energy in Vietnam, Help Meet Growing Power Demand | IFC
- (26.05.21) World Bank says Russia’s economic recovery gaining pace | Reuters
- (26.05.21) A Stronger Private Sector Could Help Pakistan Realize its Economic Potential and Create Jobs to Mitigate Impact of COVID-19 | IFC
- (27.05.21) IFC Invests $10 million in Dolma Impact Fund II to Help Small Businesses and Support Economic Recovery in Nepal | IFC
- (27.05.21) IFC Invests in Singapore’s MiCare to Improve Healthcare Affordability in Southeast Asia | IFC
- (27.05.21) IFC backs Eris’s new investment platform with $10m | Africa Global Funds
- (27.05.21) Tanzania: World Bank Supports Expanded Access to Opportunities and Services, Especially for Women and Youth | The World Bank
- (27.05.21) Fiera Capital Invests in World Bank Sustainable Development Bonds and Raises Awareness for the Importance of Water and Ocean Resources | The World Bank
- (27.05.21) Digital Transformation a Key Enabler of Long-Term Resilient Growth in Zimbabwe | The World Bank
- (27.05.21) RESEARCH: Women Can Add $280 Billion to E-Commerce in Southeast Asia | IFC
- (27.05.21) RESEARCH: Women Can Add $14.57 Billion to E-Commerce in Africa | IFC
- (28.05.21) Sao Tome and Principe: World Bank Boosts Improvements in the Banking System, Access to Finance | The World Bank
- (29.05.21) World Bank approves $30m grant to support Palestine | The National
- (29.05.21) Jordan: The World Bank Group Adapts its Strategy to Support COVID-19 Response, Inclusive and Resilient Recovery, and Continued Reforms | The World Bank
IFC / PROPARCO
ADB
- (24.05.21) ADB Commends Uganda on External Debt Management | The Bridge Uganda
- (25.05.21) KP ratifies 300MW Balakot hydropower project with ADB’s support | ARY News
- (27.05.21) ADB Signs Green Loan to Develop 144 MW Wind Farms in Viet Nam | Asian Development Bank
- (28.05.21) ADB Continues Support to Rural Road Connectivity in Sri Lanka | Asian Development Bank
AfDB
- (23.05.21) Egypt signs agreement with AfDB worth €145M to advance railway system | EgyptToday
- (25.05.21) JUST IN: AfDB, European Bank sign MoU on private sector development | The Chronicle
- (25.05.21) Liberia: African Development Bank Funded SAPEC Project Procures 40 Agrocares Soil Nutrient Scanners | FrontPageAfrica
- (25.05.21) AFRICA: Towards the creation of a water resources management platform | Afrik 21
- (26.05.21) Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa extends grant to speed countries’ energy transition ahead of COP26 | African Development Bank
- (27.05.21) Tanzania: African Development Bank Group signs loan agreements for $140 million to increase power generation | African Development Bank
- (28.05.21) NACCIMA Honours African Development Bank President with Excellence Award for Outstanding Public Service and Exceptional Contributions to the Banking Industry | Africanews
- (28.05.21) African Development Fund ranked among the world’s leading providers of development assistance | African Development Bank
EIB
- (24.05.21) Team Europe launches new financing platform in Africa | Mining Review Africa
- (25.05.21) BENIN: EIB finances rainwater drainage in Sèmè-Podji and Abomey-Calavi | Afrik 21
- (28.05.21) DOCUMENT: EIB Working Paper 2021/03 — Assessing climate change risks at the country level — World | ReliefWeb
- (28.05.21) Seychelles: Extension of Seychelles’ Port Victoria to Start Next Year, Official Says | allAfrica
EIB / OeEB
EBRD
AIIB
- (22.05.21) Hostility to China preventing groundbreaking global cooperation on infrastructure building | South China Morning Post
- (25.05.21) Emerging Tech in Bangladesh Bridge Construction | AIIB
- (28.05.21) AIIB Commits USD50M at the Initial Closing of the SUSI Asia Energy Transition Fund | AIIB
- (30.05.21) AIIB: China’s carbon reduction “one of the most important initiatives” | CGTN
BIO
CDC
- (24.05.21) Collaborating for impact in complex and challenging markets | CDC Group
- (25.05.21) Decarbonising Africa’s grid electricity | CDC Group
- (27.05.21) CDC Group announces partnership with WWF and Climate-KIC | CDC Group
- (27.05.21) The economic trends bolstering African investment and development in the wake of COVID-19 | CDC Group
- (28.05.21) Agriculture capable of ending poverty — CDC Group | Punch Newspapers
- (28.05.21) Consortium investment in Ethiopian mobile will bring about lasting change | CDC Group
DEG
DFC
- (24.05.21) U.S. Sanctions Complicate Vodafone Funding for Ethiopia Entry | BNN Bloomberg
- (25.05.21) DFC invests $5m in Africa Healthcare Network | Africa Global Funds
- (28.05.21) Africa: U.S. Push for a Global Clean Energy Transition Can Start in Africa | allAfrica
DFC / FMO
PROPARCO
- (28.05.21) GICAM and the AFD partner to elaborate the first Central African Corporate Governance Code | Business in Cameroon
- (25.05.21) Proparco supports d.light’s, a global leader in solar energy | Proparco
Swedfund
Misc Content in Development Finance
- (24.05.21) BlackRock Joins Funds Betting on Indian Assets Amid Outbreak | BNN Bloomberg
- (24.05.21) VIDEO: How to think about impact investing | Livewire
- (25.05.21) New Graduates Can Save Money — And the World — Through Impact Investing | InvestorPlace
- (25.05.21) PODCAST: How Impact Investing Can Relieve the Rent Burden | Knowledge@Wharton
- (25.05.21) New project launches to harness potential of impact investing to level up the UK | Institutional Asset Manager
- (25.05.21) Devex Invested: How finance is key to electrifying the world | Devex
- (25.05.21) Capital market-economic growth nexus essential to Singapore’s finance centre, entrepreneurial hub ambitions | by Shiwen Yap | Medium
- (26.05.21) Backbone of Africa’s banking system: Development Finance Institutions | The Africa Report
- (26.05.21) Newly-launched Asia Digital Bank aims to become world’s leading digital asset operator | Malay Mail
- (26.05.21) Investing To Do Well And Do Good | Forbes
- (27.05.21) Egypt’s incentive programmes target expanded private sector investment, development: Finance Minister | Daily News Egypt
- (27.05.21) REPORT: Driving Financial Inclusion, Credit and Poverty in the Digital Economy | Proshare
- (27.05.21) Africa’s Biggest Fund Manager Loses Head of Impact Investing | BNN Bloomberg
- (28.05.21) Impact investing risks being undermined by greenwashing, says Robeco | Institutional Asset Manager
- (28.05.21) Training projects that are empowering Indonesia’s youth | World Economic Forum
Misc Technology
- (24.05.21) Top 15 Women Leaders in Asia’s Fintech Industry in 2021 | Fintech Singapore
- (24.05.21) Nigeria’s Mono raises millions to power the internet economy in Africa | TechCrunch
- (26.05.21) African fintech OPay is reportedly raising $400M at over $1.5B valuation | TechCrunch
- (26.05.21) Visa takes a swipe in fintech, builds new online marketplace | TechCrunch
- (27.05.21) Monetary Authority of Singapore Advocates Financial Inclusion With Mojaloop Partnership | The Fintech Times
- (27.05.21) Spotlight MEA: GCC Fintech Development, My Book Qatar, and the Future of SME Payments | The Fintech Times
- (28.05.21) The Simple Formula for Financial Inclusion | Bitcoin Market Journal
- (29.05.21) Why the FinTech industry soared despite the pandemic? | Analytics Insight
Misc Gender
- (24.05.21) This woman’s not-for-profit aims to transform the investing world in favour of gender diversity | Your Story
- (26.05.21) Women’s inclusion — Newspaper | DAWN
- (28.05.21) PODCAST: Incorporating a gender lens can pay off in portfolios | InvestmentNews
Misc Sustainability
- (24.05.21) African renewables in flurry of investments | ALB Article
- (24.05.21) Replenishment Negotiations Highlight GEF’s Unique Position to Address Inter-related Threats | IISD
- (24.05.21) An ETF With A Different Take on ESG Investing | Nasdaq
- (24.05.21) ESG: Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater | Responsible Investor
- (25.05.21) How Far Could Pension Funds Drive Sustainable Investing? | Knowledge@Wharton
- (25.05.21) How the World Bank is boosting climate resilience | World Economic Forum
- (25.05.21) Global carbon pricing schemes raised $53 bln in 2020 — World Bank | Reuters
- (26.05.21) Visualized: The Top Five Questions on Sustainable Investing | Visual Capitalist
- (26.05.21) Green Finance Hires Political Stars to Protect $30 Trillion Boom ｜ BNN Bloomberg
- (27.05.21) ESG Blog: Shell ordered by court to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 | Investment Week
- (27.05.21) Responsible investing, irresponsible metrics? Race to net zero hit by data reliability woes | Investment Week
- (27.05.21) Eco-Friendly Investors to Start Taking More Aggressive Approaches in May | Blue & Green Tomorrow
- (27.05.21) Missed Opportunities In ESG & Sustainable Investing Today | Forbes
Subscription Required
- (22.05.21) U.S.-China Tech Fight Opens New Front in Ethiopia | Wall Street Journal
- (24.05.21) IFC proposes to extend $10m loan to ACLEDA Bank Lao | Deal Street Asia
- (24.05.21) Congo May Get World Bank Funds of up to $3 Billion | Bloomberg
- (24.05.21) US Ethiopia Sanctions Complicate Vodafone Funding for Telecom Entry | Bloomberg
- (25.05.21) George Floyd Legacy: Have Companies Kept Their Diversity Promises? | Bloomberg
- (25.05.21) Vietnam: The private equity route | EuroMoney
- (26.05.21) One million sign up to Ethio Telecom’s Telebirr mobile money | Quartz Africa
Upcoming Webinar
- June 1–3, 2021: 3-Day Climate Action Workshop for Development Finance Institutions in Africa | African Development Bank
- June 22–25, 2021 : Sustainable Investment Festival — Registrations open! Register now: Sustainable Investment Festival attracts stellar line-up of fund managers and industry leaders
If you have suggestions for articles that should be featured in future lists, please drop me a note and follow me on LinkedIn.
