Empowering women in affordable housing and agriculture: new financial initiatives launched

Women-led businesses in the affordable housing and agriculture space have received a boost with the unlocking of capital aimed at closing the gender financing gap. 

The initiative announced by Shared Interest on Thursday is being rolled out in partnership with the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) and the uMaStandi, a property financing company that supports township property entrepreneurs.

Shared Interest is a US-based nonprofit social investment fund that unlocks local capital for high-impact enterprises in Southern Africa using partial credit guarantees.

Across South Africa, women are said to be building businesses that address urgent community needs, from housing to food security, and reinvest up to 90% of their income back into their families. 

Yet, despite this critical role, a staggering $42 billion (about R727bn) gender financing gap persists across the African continent. In South Africa alone, women are said to own nearly 40% of small businesses but receive less than 10% of formal financing.

This initiative is designed to change that.

Affordable housing

“Women-led businesses are often overlooked when it comes to access to capital,” said Dorcas Onyango, global program director at Shared Interest.

“At Shared Interest, we collaborate with lending organisations like uMaStandi and technical partners like DGMT to de-risk SME loans and make it possible for women entrepreneurs to access the funding they need to scale their businesses.” 

One of the areas where women are already driving innovative solutions is in housing. 

In August, this publication reported that young women face a compounded disadvantage in accessing credit, particularly for property. 

They are said to contend with the general struggles of youth in the credit market, combined with the existing gender disparities in secured lending, Jaco van Jaarsveldt, the head of commercial Strategy & Innovation at Experian, said in response to an "Independent Media Property" enquiry then.

The targeted partnership interventions include uMaStandi (TUHF Group). Shared Interest will channel capital into affordable housing finance for micro-developers, especially women-led businesses, in the township.

The initiative will support female landlords to develop and manage income-generating rental units, even without traditional collateral.

Specifically, the partnership aims to unlock $8 million (R138 million) in loans for women's affordable housing entrepreneurs, enabling uMaStandi to expand beyond its initial Soweto focus into other areas around the country, further tapping township development potential.

To date, uMaStandi has financed 700 units, expanded its footprint to KZN and East London and grown its loan book to R80 million.

“Affordable housing is one of South Africa’s greatest needs, and women entrepreneurs are already proving they can lead bold, sustainable solutions that transform both our cities and our communities,” said Lusanda Netshitenzhe, executive director of uMaStandi.

“Our collaboration with Shared Interest ensures that we back women entrepreneurs who are making tangible impacts in their communities, driving innovation, and contributing to inclusive growth across South Africa.”

Township property

The collaboration will build on TUHF’s comprehensive Entrepreneurial Support model, which combines access to finance, mentorship programs such as the TUHF Programme for Property Entrepreneurship, and technical training throughout the development process.

This will stimulate local economies, create jobs, strengthen small businesses, and contribute to urban regeneration and densification in townships.

Earlier this month, Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (Nedbank CIB) partnered with International Housing Solutions (IHS) at the 17th IHS Affordable Housing Conference gathering themed: Foundations for the Future: Housing the New World.

It is intended to reaffirm a long-term commitment to positioning affordable housing as essential infrastructure for inclusive growth.

Women in agricultural property

Another intervention is with the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), with one of their focus areas in opening opportunities for smallholder and medium farmers in agriculture.

Through this partnership, Shared Interest and DGMT will de-risk lending for young black agripreneurs, while also providing business and financial management training.

This approach ensures that women farmers not only access the financing they need today but also strengthen their ability to qualify for new loans from local banks as their enterprises grow.

Last month, this publication reported that little attention is being paid to the role that women are playing in the land reform sector, despite women owning and operating approximately 20% of farming units in South Africa, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.  

“Our partnership with Shared Interest makes it possible for farmers to leverage financing they would ordinarily be excluded from,” says Busisiwe Kabane-Bailey, innovation director at DGMT.

"It will help them strengthen their agribusiness and build a track record for sustainable access to mainstream finance in the future.”

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