AGF is a company limited by shares incorporated under the business laws of Mauritius. It is owned by the Government of Denmark through the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) and the Government of Spain through the Spanish Agency for International Development Co-operation (aecid) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Plans are underway to expand the shareholding base through the bringing on-board of other Multilateral and Bilateral development finance institutions.

It has a branch in Nairobi, Kenya, from where it conducts its business. AGF operates as a non-bank financial institution with a Board of Directors responsible for the overall affairs of the company and a Chief Executive Officer heading the day to day operations.

HISTORY

AGF was officially launched on June 2nd, 2012, in Arusha, Tanzania, by Dr. Donald Kaberuka, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which together with the governments of Denmark (through Danida) and Spain (through aecid), are the founding shareholders.

AGF’s key mandate is to assist financial institutions increase their financing to African Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) through the provision of partial financial guarantees and capacity development assistance.

AGF’s products and services provide financial institutions with the means which they can leverage in bringing their African SME financing interventions to the required scale.

VISION

To be the leading non-bank Financial Institution which meets Africa’s financing provider’s needs, effectively serving SMEs while maintaining their uncompromised principal as they grow.

MISSION

The promotion of economic development and poverty reduction in Africa. In support of the vision above:

- To be more resource efficient;
- To build strong partnerships between financial institutions and AGF;
- To reduce the inability of SMEs/SMIs to provide acceptable guarantees;
- To encourage and support banks and other financial institutions in the financing of SMEs/SMIs by sharing the risk involved;
- To support capacity development of their partners by seeking to build their existing knowledge and capacity.