Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund Supports UsPlus Limited in Expanding Access to Finance for Women-Led Businesses
Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (VCHF), through its Technical Assistance Facility, is proud to have supported UsPlus Limited (UsPlus) in advancing its commitment to gender inclusion by identifying and engaging women-led businesses that can benefit from its innovative invoice discounting and working capital solutions.
KfW, on behalf of The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (“BMZ”) has provided a technical assistance facility (“TAF”) in relation to the investment of KfW in VCHF.
UsPlus, a specialist SME finance provider in South Africa, continues to play a pivotal role in driving inclusive economic development through its Social Bond Framework. Central to this framework is UsPlus’s goal of expanding access to finance for women-owned and women-led enterprises, a vital step toward addressing gender inequality and fostering equitable growth across South Africa’s SME sector.
Despite its strong commitment, the inclusion of women entrepreneurs in SME financing remains constrained by several challenges. These include limited visibility of women-owned businesses within existing client pipelines, insufficient gender-focused outreach strategies, and a lack of data-driven tools to identify and assess eligible businesses using gender inclusion frameworks such as the 2X Challenge.
To help overcome these barriers and strengthen gender inclusion within its portfolio, VCHF supported the commissioning of SLR Consulting to conduct an in-depth market scan focused on women-led SMEs. The study aimed to guide UsPlus’s expansion into this critical segment by identifying effective pathways, partnerships, and innovations to improve outreach and impact.
The market scan provided actionable insights, including:
- Mapping key multipliers and intermediaries that can connect UsPlus to women-led SMEs;
- Assessing how other SME financiers approach gender inclusion and working capital;
- Identifying opportunities for differentiation and brand positioning within the gender-lens finance space; and
- Recommending ways UsPlus can build trust and impact credibility with women entrepreneurs.
The findings also highlighted innovative approaches that UsPlus can adapt or pilot to make its financial products more inclusive and accessible. By integrating a gender-lens perspective into its lending strategy, UsPlus is well-positioned to combine its hallmark fast, flexible working capital solutions with a strong social impact narrative, enabling more women entrepreneurs to grow and sustain their businesses.
Through this initiative, VCHF’s support is helping UsPlus expand its market reach, enhance gender equity in access to finance, and deepen its contribution to South Africa’s inclusive economic growth. The insights gained will serve as a foundation for designing more targeted, gender-responsive financial products and outreach strategies, ultimately empowering women-led SMEs to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the national economy.