geo/zambia
Washington D.C April 2023 – Altus Financial Services joins the SME Finance Forum as the newest member of our global membership network. Our members are SME financing experts from 80+ countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation.
“Since 2016, we’ve been implementing our mission to build a global membership to support better SME financing, and since then, we’ve established a network with over 240 active member institutions, which operate in over 190 countries sharing the common purpose of helping under-served enterprises. We are delighted to welcome Altus, a wholly Zambian-owned financial services provider, to the SME Finance Forum,” said Matthew Gamser, CEO of the SME Finance Forum.
Launched in 2016, Altus Financial Services is a registered financial services company providing short to medium term financing to individuals and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia. Registered and supervised by the Bank of Zambia, the Altus team is young, vibrant and innovative and have significant experience in the financial services industry. Altus Financial Services was founded based on the need to fill a gap in the way financial services are offered to individuals SMEs.
“By joining the SME Finance Forum, we hope to network and collaborate with fellow financiers to develop business partnerships where synergies exist,” says Ken Simwaba, Managing Director, Altus Financial Services.
About SME Finance Forum
The SME Finance Forum was established by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) in 2012 as a knowledge center for data, research, and best practice in promoting SME finance. As an implementing partner for the GPFI, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was tasked with managing the initiative. The Forum operates a global membership network of +240 members that brings together financial institutions, technology companies, and development finance institutions to share knowledge, spur innovation, and promote the growth of SMEs.
Discover the SME Finance Forum members: https://www.smefinanceforum.org/members/member-list
About Altus Financial Services
Altus Financial Services is a financial services provider regulated by the Bank of Zambia providing short to medium term financing to individuals and SMEs in Zambia.
Website: https://altusfinancialservices.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-financial-services-ltd/
Washington, D.C., March 31th, 2020 –AB Bank Zambia became the newest member of the SME Finance Forum, a global membership network that brings together financial institutions, technology companies, and development finance institutions to share knowledge, spur innovation, and promote the growth of SMEs.
“40 percent of small and medium businesses worldwide struggle to get access to the credit and capital that they need to grow their enterprises. We are delighted to welcome AB Bank Zambia to our network of more than 180 members who are working to eliminate the finance gap for SMEs,” said Matthew Gamser, CEO of the Forum. `
AB Bank Zambia Ltd. (ABZ) is a commercial bank seeking to improve access to financial services, particularly amongst people in both urban and rural areas who have limited access to financial services with over 95,000 accounts. Their core clientele is MSME as well as general lower/middle-income groups in Zambia.
“AB Bank Zambia is the leading provider of MSME services in Zambia. By becoming a SME Finance Forum member, we would like to share our experiences with other MSME practitioners and establish partnerships with different stakeholders,“ said Cosmin Olteanu, Chief Executive Officer of AB Bank Zambia.
To see all SME Finance Forum members, please visit: https://www.smefinanceforum.org/members/member-list
About SME Finance Forum
The SME Finance Forum was established by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) in 2012 as a knowledge center for data, research and best practice in promoting SME finance. As an implementing partner for the GPFI, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was tasked with managing the initiative.
About AB Bank Zambia
AB Bank Zambia Ltd. (ABZ) is a commercial bank seeking to improve access to financial services, particularly amongst people in both urban and rural areas who have limited access to financial services. ABZ already has a well-established branch network in Lusaka and has extended a variety of financial services since inception in 2011, and currently handling over 95,000 accounts. Their core clientele is MSME as well as general lower/middle-income groups in Zambia.
Media Contact
Carina Carrasco
ccarrasco@worldbank.org
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