The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has significantly increased its support for women entrepreneurs in Egypt by extending a loan of EGP 700 million (approximately €13.2 million) to Tasaheel for Financing. Tasaheel is Egypt’s largest lender to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

This loan, part of the EBRD’s Women in Business programme, is designed to improve access to finance for women-led MSMEs, particularly in regions outside Greater Cairo and Alexandria that are typically underserved by the banking sector. Alongside financial support, the EBRD will provide Tasaheel with a comprehensive technical cooperation package. This package aims to introduce new financial products tailored to the needs of women-led MSMEs and to enhance lending and monitoring capabilities through capacity-building initiatives.

The EBRD’s Women in Business programme promotes the active participation of women in the economy, offering financial, advisory, training, and mentoring support. The programme focuses on small businesses with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than €50 million. This latest loan marks the EBRD’s third engagement in Egypt’s microfinance sector.

Tasaheel, a subsidiary of MNT Halan, dominates the microfinance sector in Egypt with a 26% market share. Since its inception in 2015, Tasaheel has consistently enhanced its lending strategies and diversified its portfolio, including a digital transformation in 2020 and the addition of SME financing services in 2021. Operating in 25 governorates with over 700 branches, Tasaheel has served 2.2 million customers, with women making up approximately 62% of its clientele.

Egypt has been a member of the EBRD since 2012, and the bank has invested nearly €11.9 billion in 178 projects across various sectors in the country.