Proparco

Letshego Holdings is a regional financial services provider in Africa, specializing in consumer lending. The company offers short to medium-term secured and unsecured loans primarily to employees in the public, quasi-public, and private sectors. It serves various customer segments, including small and micro-entrepreneurs, salaried employees, and civil servants. Operating across multiple African countries, including Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda, Letshego aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its clients while promoting financial inclusion in the region. The company considers its banking and other financial services as a unified operating segment, focusing on delivering accessible credit solutions to enhance economic empowerment.

Lapaire Glasses Kenya Ltd. is a manufacturer and seller of eyeglasses, including prescription glasses and sunglasses, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The company aims to improve access to affordable eyewear for the lower and middle-income populations in Africa, specifically targeting the 550 million people who need eyeglasses but face barriers to obtaining them. Lapaire offers free vision tests through mobile clinics and an online platform, along with 24/7 chat support, free delivery, and flexible payment options. Its services extend to customers in several African countries, including Uganda, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Mali. By leveraging innovative technology, Lapaire is committed to enhancing eye health and vision for its clients.

KCB Group Plc is the largest commercial bank in East Africa, established in 1896 in Kenya. The bank has expanded its operations across several countries, including Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, and it also owns the National Bank of Kenya. With the largest branch network in the region, KCB operates 354 branches, 1,103 ATMs, and collaborates with over 26,000 merchants and agents to provide banking services around the clock. Besides its core banking services, KCB Group has diversified into non-banking ventures, including KCB Insurance Agency, KCB Capital Limited, and KCB Foundation. The company emphasizes digital banking, offering mobile and internet banking services along with a 24-hour contact center for customer support. Furthermore, KCB maintains a network of over 200 correspondent banks globally, ensuring effective facilitation of international trade for its clients.

Sonatel SA, headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, is a leading telecommunications provider in West Africa, offering a wide range of services including fixed line, mobile, Internet, television, voice, and mobile money to both individuals and businesses. Established in 1985, Sonatel operates in Senegal and has expanded its reach to Mali, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The company has developed a modern, fully digitized network supported by high-speed optical fiber submarine cables, boasting one of Africa's largest Internet bandwidths at 6.5 Gbps. Through its Orange brand, Sonatel facilitates the convergence of mobile, Internet, and television technologies, playing a crucial role in the economic development of Senegal and positioning the country as a telecommunications hub in the region.

Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace located in Dakar, Senegal, focused on serving small retailers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in Francophone Africa. The company offers a technology-driven platform that facilitates mobile ordering and ensures reliable product delivery. Its services include providing data on product availability and market share, as well as targeted promotional offerings to help businesses enhance their sales. Additionally, Maad supports retailers by offering working capital loans, creating a comprehensive solution for their operational needs.

NCBA Group Plc is a financial services conglomerate operating in East and West Africa. The company offers a range of services, including retail, corporate, and digital banking, as well as brokerage, bancassurance, and investment banking. Its operations are divided into five segments: Corporate and Institutional Banking, Retail Banking (which encompasses SME and Consumer Banking), Treasury Dealing, Digital Banking, and Investment Banking. The majority of its revenue is generated from Kenya, with additional contributions from Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), a public limited liability company under a private sector initiative spearheaded by the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry with the support of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In the early 1980’s foreign and state-owned banks dominated the banking industry in West Africa. Commercial banks in West Africa owned and managed by the African private sector were a rarity. Its founders created ETI with the objective of filling this vacuum. The Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce promoted and initiated a project to create a private, regional banking institution in West Africa. In 1984, Ecopromotions S.A. was incorporated. Its founding shareholders raised seed capital for feasibility studies and the promotional activities leading to the creation of ETI. In October 1985, ETI was incorporated with authorised capital of US$100 million. The initial paid up capital of US$32 million was raised from over 1,500 individuals and institutions from West African countries. The largest shareholder was the ECOWAS Fund for Cooperation, Compensation and Development (ECOWAS Fund), the development finance arm of ECOWAS. Ecobank signed a Headquarters’ Agreement with the Government of Togo in 1985, which granted it the status of an international organisation. This status came with the rights and privileges necessary for ETI to operate as a regional institution, including the status of a non-resident financial institution. ETI commenced operations with its first subsidiary in Togo in March 1988.

Dakar Mobilité is the Senegalese business that operates the Dakar BRT. The company is concerned with road safety, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

ZIZ Energie focuses on the development, financing, construction, and operation of metro-grids, aiming to decentralize green energy in Chad. The company specializes in both rural and urban electrification, offering construction services that facilitate access to electricity. Additionally, ZIZ Energie distributes electrical products and equipment and provides energy services tailored for industrial and commercial clients. Through its initiatives, ZIZ Energie seeks to enhance energy accessibility and promote sustainable energy solutions in the region.

Nuru is a company focused on improving energy access and connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Goma, the company has made significant strides in renewable energy by deploying the country's first solar-based mini-grid in 2017. Nuru is currently constructing a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, which will be the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa. The company specializes in solar energy and storage micro-grid solutions, providing affordable and reliable energy to commercial and industrial users through innovative practices in solar microgrid development.

Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace located in Dakar, Senegal, focused on serving small retailers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in Francophone Africa. The company offers a technology-driven platform that facilitates mobile ordering and ensures reliable product delivery. Its services include providing data on product availability and market share, as well as targeted promotional offerings to help businesses enhance their sales. Additionally, Maad supports retailers by offering working capital loans, creating a comprehensive solution for their operational needs.

Nuru is a company focused on improving energy access and connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Goma, the company has made significant strides in renewable energy by deploying the country's first solar-based mini-grid in 2017. Nuru is currently constructing a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, which will be the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa. The company specializes in solar energy and storage micro-grid solutions, providing affordable and reliable energy to commercial and industrial users through innovative practices in solar microgrid development.

Paps is a transport and logistics company based in Dakar, Senegal, founded in 2016. It provides innovative distribution and delivery solutions tailored for companies and merchants. The company's e-commerce platform facilitates real-time scheduling and tracking of deliveries, enhancing the logistics process. Paps specializes in the distribution of documents and parcels, secure storage of goods, and insured delivery options, including last-mile and relay point services. Additionally, it offers professional services such as cash-on-delivery management, courier provision, returns management, and periodic reporting. The company’s on-demand logistics application features live tracking, an intelligent address system, and automatic dispatch, ensuring clients benefit from timely shipment movements.

Nuru is a company focused on improving energy access and connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Goma, the company has made significant strides in renewable energy by deploying the country's first solar-based mini-grid in 2017. Nuru is currently constructing a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, which will be the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa. The company specializes in solar energy and storage micro-grid solutions, providing affordable and reliable energy to commercial and industrial users through innovative practices in solar microgrid development.

Paps is a transport and logistics company based in Dakar, Senegal, founded in 2016. It provides innovative distribution and delivery solutions tailored for companies and merchants. The company's e-commerce platform facilitates real-time scheduling and tracking of deliveries, enhancing the logistics process. Paps specializes in the distribution of documents and parcels, secure storage of goods, and insured delivery options, including last-mile and relay point services. Additionally, it offers professional services such as cash-on-delivery management, courier provision, returns management, and periodic reporting. The company’s on-demand logistics application features live tracking, an intelligent address system, and automatic dispatch, ensuring clients benefit from timely shipment movements.

Meditect is a social enterprise focused on digitizing the medicine supply chain in Africa, with operations in Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon, and plans for expansion across sub-Saharan Africa. The company develops AI and blockchain-based software designed to track falsified medicines and enhance the integrity of drug distribution. By providing innovative solutions, Meditect aims to combat the sale of counterfeit medications and ensure the authenticity of medicines through a system that allows pharmacists to verify their products. This initiative addresses the critical challenge of access to quality medicines in the context of Africa's rapidly growing population, leveraging digital technology to improve healthcare delivery in developing countries.