Rural Enterprise Finance Project

In Mozambique, a rising demand for food is creating job opportunities for rural smallholders seeking to expand and intensify their activities. Nevertheless, a lack of resources and inadequate access to financial services and markets are becoming increasingly critical constraints.

The Rural Enterprise Finance Project (REFP) will focus on the poor and disadvantaged to ensure that rural finance services reach underserved communities and financially excluded groups. It will operate across 10 provinces and is expected to directly benefit more than 287,700 rural people engaged in agriculture, fisheries and small and medium-sized enterprises by improving their access to national and regional markets.

REFP aims to increase the availability and use of appropriate, affordable and innovative financial and technical support services. It will develop digital financial services for agricultural and rural finance products. Rural agricultural and non-agricultural entrepreneurs will undergo training, and institutions working with the rural population will receive support. The project also seeks to improve the creditworthiness of very poor rural people by improving their financial literacy and capacity.