Our Impact
For over 30 years, Shared Interest has unlocked catalytic capital for thousands of financially marginalized SMEs across Southern Africa. Our guaranteed loans measurably improved climate resilience, food security, job creation, affordable housing, and women’s financial inclusion, while driving systemic change in local financial markets.
Impact metrics
We guarantee loans for women and youth-owned SMEs that create jobs, reduce poverty, and build resilient communities.
237,000
Small & medium-sized enterprises assisted
$36 Million
USD in guarantees provided
2,364,808
Individuals benefitted
1,957,288
Jobs created
$134 Million
Local SME loans unlocked
65
Coops, entrepreneurs, & lenders supported
121,620
Homes built
1:4:2
Capital leverage ratio*
*Shown as a ratio of the total value of loans made to borrowers vs. total value of guarantees issued by Shared Interest
Our focus
Agriculture &
Food Security
Smallholder farms are a top sector underserved by Financial institutions. Shared Interest de-risks lending to emerging Black commercial farmers who lack collateral, helping them access working capital, scale up, and strengthen productivity and climate resilience.
Women & Gender
Women face social barriers to accessing credit. Businesses that employ and/or benefit women are vital to lifting household incomes and community livelihoods. Shared Interest derisks loans to women owned and led SMEs that generate social impact but lack the assets required as loan collateral.
FinTech
(Financial Technology)
New technologies including mobile phones improve low income consumers' access to a wide range of financial services. Shared Interest derisks local loans to lenders employing innovative financial technology to improve SME financial inclusion.
Affordable Housing
Access to decent affordable housing is a critical socio-economic challenge in Africa. Shared interest guarantees loans to property entrepreneurs focused on increasing the supply of dignified, approved and affordable housing.
Social Enterprise
Southern African entrepreneurs are building enterprises that can contribute to social good, especially by serving base-of- pyramid communities with innovative technologies and
business models.
Climate Change
Vulnerable communities burdened by climate change need solutions and technologies to build resilience and prevent further environmental damage. Shared Interest guarantees loans to SMEs with business models that improve community climate resilience.
Stories of impact
By de-risking lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we enable local financial institutions to extend financing that would otherwise remain out of reach: creating jobs, strengthening supply chains, and transforming communities. From Zambia’s Copperbelt to Lusaka’s industrial corridors, each loan has a lasting impact that ripples outward: from lenders, to SMEs, to households.
Molhen Paper Solutions
Redefining Packaging and Proving Sustainability Can Scale
Guarantee-backed funding from Prime Capital enabled Molhen Paper Solutions to meet growing demand with confidence. Led by 25-year-old entrepreneur Makhala Henson, Molhen manufactures biodegradable paper bags that give businesses a practical alternative to plastic in Lesotho. With Prime Capital’s loan, Molhen hired three new employees, improved turnaround times, lowered costs by purchasing materials in bulk, and expanded their product range to meet customer preferences for branded packaging solutions. Mohlen is not only responding to today’s market needs; they are building sustainable solutions for the future of packaging in Lesotho.
Med-iQ Nutraceuticals
Supporting Job Retention and Pioneering Innovation
Backed by a Shared Interest guarantee, Prime Capital’s loan enabled Lesotho-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Med-iQ to increase production capacity and open new commercial pathways. Critically, the financing helped secure existing jobs at a time when the company lacked reserves to cover salaries and rent, allowing them to retain their skilled team and maintain continuity in production and service delivery. This reduction in operational stress meant leadership was able to focus on product development, quality assurance, and strategic growth rather than survival. Today, MED-iQ represents a new generation of African health innovation, grounded in both tradition and technology. Prime Capital is proud to support enterprises like MED-iQ that combine science, innovation, and social impact, contributing to job retention, industrial capability, and better health outcomes in Lesotho.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Shared Interest is dedicated to serving the most underrepresented entrepreneurs in Southern Africa, thereby advancing six of the core United Nations SDGs.
Core Impact Goals
1 NO POVERTY
Increase access to traditional financial services for underserved communities
5 GENDER EQUALITY
Offer products and services that empower women and girls, especially women-led businesses
8 DECENT WORK
& ECONOMIC GROWTH
Invest in SMEs, agricultural businesses, cooperatives, microfinance, and low-income infrastructure
10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Investment in companies that hire more women and further income equality
13 CLIMATE ACTION
Working with and supporting businesses that promote climate adaptation strategies
17 PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS
Partner to create blended finance structures to transform financial ecosystems in Southern African countries
