Shared Interest works as a catalyst for social and economic change in South Africa. Since our inception in 1994, we have used loan guarantees to bridge the gap between South African banks and marginalized people, previously considered “unbankable” during apartheid. As a 501(c)3 non-profit social investment fund, we raise capital in the U.S. from individuals, foundations and financial institutions to support micro-lending, agricultural cooperatives and small businesses in South Africa. Along with our South African partner, Thembani International Guarantee Fund, we have helped make the promise of economic human rights a reality for over one million South Africans.

 

MISSION

 

Shared Interest mobilizes the resources for Southern Africa’s economically disenfranchised communities to sustain themselves and build equitable nations.

 

VISION

 

Shared Interest envisions just and vibrant Southern African nations that eliminate disparities, uphold their peoples’ basic human rights and serve as models of economic justice.

 

OBJECTIVE

Shared Interest’s objective is to effect systemic change on three levels in Southern African low-income communities:

-Strengthen the capacity of economically marginalized communities to direct the course of their own development.
-Engage Southern African financial institutions to change lending practices and serve previously excluded markets.
-Build a model of international collaboration that leverages a country’s own resources