Ecobank DRC Secures $10 Million Guarantee to Expand Lending to Small Businesses

Ecobank Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to expand lending to small businesses after Proparco and the European Union agreed to provide US$10 million in portfolio guarantees to support the bank's financing activities.

The agreement was signed on November 3, 2026, during the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) in Luanda, Angola, by Proparco and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the parent company of Ecobank DRC. Proparco announced the transaction on November 4.

The facility falls under the IMPACT+ programme, a joint initiative supported by Proparco and the European Union to improve access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa.

It consists of two separate guarantees. The first will support the growth of Ecobank DRC's overall MSME lending portfolio, while the second targets businesses led by women and young entrepreneurs, startups, and companies operating in agriculture, healthcare, education and environmentally sustainable activities.

Addressing the Collateral Barrier

Access to bank financing remains difficult for many smaller businesses because they cannot provide the collateral lenders require. This limits their ability to purchase equipment, increase production, expand distribution or recruit additional employees.

The portfolio guarantee is designed to reduce part of the lending risk carried by Ecobank, allowing the bank to extend financing to more businesses that might otherwise struggle to qualify for credit.

Under this arrangement, Ecobank remains responsible for assessing borrowers and issuing loans, while the guarantee provides risk-sharing protection on eligible lending, subject to the agreed terms.

The institutions have not disclosed the proportion of individual loan losses covered by the guarantees, their duration or the total value of additional lending they expect the arrangement to support.

Part of a Wider African SME Financing Programme

The DRC agreement is the first Impact+ guarantee Proparco has signed with the Ecobank Group. It also represents an initial transaction under a broader cooperation programme between the two institutions.

At the Africa Forward Forum in Nairobi earlier in 2026, Proparco and Ecobank signed a memorandum of understanding outlining plans to develop financing and risk-sharing solutions for African businesses through a programme worth up to €100 million.

The wider initiative is intended to expand financing for SMEs, agribusinesses and women-led enterprises across Ecobank's pan-African network.

The agreement marks the first transaction under the wider Proparco–Ecobank partnership, which is exploring up to €100 million in financing and risk-sharing arrangements across Africa. Neither institution has disclosed how much additional lending the DRC guarantee is expected to generate.