Shared Interest

What is Shared Interest?

Shared Interest is an investment entity that focuses on advancing economic, racial, and gender justice in Southern Africa. With its foundation deeply rooted in strong anti-apartheid principles, the fund plays a crucial role in empowering Black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and build healthy, sustainable communities in the region.

They utilize an innovative partnership model to impact change and achieve their investment thesis.

Their strategy includes collaborating with at least 10 new Southern African financial institutions across seven countries, fortifying Black-owned businesses, with an objective of benefiting 100,000 low-income Southern Africans, particularly targeting communities with a large proportion of women and youth.

Shared Interest enables these businesses to gain access to capital, markets, and technical training vital for creating sustainable livelihoods.

The fund's impact is prominent, boasting of individuals benefited, jobs created, a high capital leverage ratio, and considerable amounts unlocked for borrowers.

Specific numbers demonstrate their success, including millions in capital leverage, substantial investment in Black women-owned businesses, assisting hundreds of thousands of microenterprises, significant guaranty amounts, homes built and supporting numerous cooperatives, entrepreneurs, and lenders.

Shared Interest operates through an innovative 5 Step Approach which is part of their transformative partnership model for fostering racial and economic justice.

This approach unlocks local capital and strengthens resources for the region's most promising emerging entrepreneurs and SGBs. Over its three-decade history, Shared Interest has been a pathway for Black Southern African smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and small businesses to gain access to credit, previously excluded or marginalized by the mainstream financial system. They celebrate the extraordinary entrepreneurs, partners, and stakeholders they've served across Southern Africa.

Notably, Nelson Mandela has recognized Shared Interest's role in developing new strategies and tools that give substance to the vision and energies of the Southern African people. In addition to their impact-focused projects, Shared Interest also engages in various events and maintains partnerships and sponsorships to support its mission.