Kenyan entrepreneurs meet PlusPlus

Everywhere there are entrepreneurs, armed with business plans and looking for opportunities to grow their business. For them, that is the goal of SankAlp, a large conference in Kenya where impact investors and entrepreneurs meet. This year I had the honor, together with my PlusPlus colleagues, to participate in the conference and introduce PlusPlus.

There was a wonderfully positive atmosphere during the conference, which took place in the last week of February. Everyone was strongly motivated to contribute to strengthening SMEs and thus make an impact on all kinds of fronts. And that is exactly what PlusPlus wants. We hadn't come here for nothing…!

The conference itself, as well as beyond, was a great opportunity for us to meet various small and medium sized agricultural entrepreneurs. We visited several of these companies, ranging from potato processing to producing ready-to-eat beans for low-income markets and digital lending for small scale farmers.

During the conference itself we got to know many more companies, from innovations to solve food hygiene, to replace 10 intermediaries with one digital merchant that offers better prices to both farmers and customers. Or how about a small entrepreneur who produces really cool hipster shoes from waste materials in the slums of Nairobi! Take a look at his business, or even order a pair of shoes, at: https://re-afric.com/!

The enthusiasm with which these entrepreneurs build their business into a profitable business and at the same time contribute to more employment, income and a better life for dozens of others is clearly visible. Some focus on making an impact for their customers, for example with ready-to-eat beans so that less cooking is required on harmful wood fires in the slums. Others focus on farmers, offering them a combination of services and input products that can improve their yields and income by up to 100%!

It only made me believe more in this model: we need to help entrepreneurs in emerging economies make a difference and can do this through a professional relationship, without giving it away for free.

You will soon be able to make this possible at PlusPlus, with a small loan that can be invested again and again. This way you immediately see the impact and use your money as a gift that keeps on giving! If you are interested, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Sources:

https://www.staatvanhetmkb.nl/themadashboard/economisch-belang

The role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Dutch economy: An analysis using an extended supply and use table

https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-missing-middle-development-finance

https://www.dalberg.com/our-ideas/closing-gaps-finance-pathways-serving-missing-middles

https://www.raflearning.org/post/inflection-point-unlocking-growth-the-era-farmer-finance