The African Development Bank Group and pan-African technology company AXIAN have launched a new digital finance programme designed to expand access to financial services for 34,000 women-led businesses across Africa.

The initiative, announced on September 2, 2026, is intended to help women entrepreneurs overcome some of the financial barriers that continue to restrict the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the continent.

The programme will focus on improving access to digital financial services, with the broader objective of helping women-owned enterprises participate more effectively in the formal economy.

Access to finance remains an important challenge for many small businesses in African markets. Limited access to suitable financial products can make it harder for entrepreneurs to invest in equipment, expand operations, hire workers or withstand periods of economic pressure.

The new partnership seeks to use digital financial solutions to narrow some of those gaps. By connecting women-led businesses with modern financial services, the programme could create additional opportunities for entrepreneurs who have traditionally faced greater difficulties obtaining conventional financing.

The initiative also reflects the growing importance of digitalisation in Africa’s economic development. Mobile technology and digital financial platforms have expanded rapidly across many African markets, creating new ways for businesses and consumers to access payments and financial services.

For women entrepreneurs, improved digital access could provide more than basic payment facilities. It can also support business transactions, financial management and connections with wider commercial networks.

The African Development Bank has increasingly placed women entrepreneurs and private-sector development among its priorities as it seeks to promote more inclusive economic growth across Africa.

The partnership with AXIAN adds a technology-focused dimension to those efforts, linking development finance with digital financial infrastructure.

With 34,000 women-led businesses targeted, the programme represents a substantial effort to strengthen women’s participation in Africa’s entrepreneurial economy and expand the reach of digital finance.

The initiative was reported through the African Development Bank’s country information for Tanzania on September 2, 2026, making it one of the bank’s latest verified developments available ahead of September 6.