The African Development Bank and the Development Bank of Namibia have launched DBN For Her, a major new financing facility created specifically for enterprises that are 100% women-owned in Namibia. Unveiled in Windhoek, the initiative marks the result of a two-year strategic partnership aimed at expanding access to finance for women entrepreneurs and addressing long-standing gender gaps in business funding across the country.
The facility is part of a broader ZAR 1.5 billion (about $88 million) line of credit extended to the Development Bank of Namibia, with ZAR 400 million (around $23.3 million) reserved exclusively for women-owned small, medium, and large enterprises. The African Development Bank is contributing N$400 million (approximately $23.5 million) to this dedicated women-focused facility through its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme, which is designed to close financing gaps faced by women-led businesses across the continent.
DBN For Her is open to fully women-owned Namibian businesses employing between 5 and 300 people across all sectors of the economy. The programme covers both SMEs and larger enterprises, offering loans ranging from N$150,000 to N$10 million. These loans are available at the prime interest rate and include a 12-month grace period during which no interest will accrue, making the facility more accessible and affordable for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses.
Namibia’s Minister of Finance, Ericah Shafudah, described DBN For Her as a deliberate and strategic response to structural imbalances in the economy. She emphasized that the initiative is not only about improving access to finance, but also about ensuring that women become active contributors to economic growth, job creation, and national development.
The African Development Bank’s support extends beyond direct financing. Through AFAWA, the Bank is also providing ZAR 40 million in blended finance to help lower borrowing costs for women-owned enterprises. In addition, the partnership includes technical assistance to strengthen the Development Bank of Namibia’s ability to offer gender-responsive financial products and to improve the bankability and investment readiness of women entrepreneurs. Over the past five years, AFAWA has unlocked more than $3.1 billion in financing through partnerships with over 200 financial institutions across 46 countries, with the Development Bank of Namibia now emerging as one of its leading implementation partners.
Senior officials also highlighted the broader social and economic importance of the initiative. Namibia’s Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Emma Kantema-Gaomas, said that empowering women is both a matter of justice and a foundation for stronger communities, economies, and nations. Alex Area, Chief AFAWA Officer at the African Development Bank Group, noted that the launch sends a strong message to women entrepreneurs in Namibia that they are recognized, valued, and deserving of financial support.
The need for such a facility remains significant despite Namibia’s relatively strong standing on the Gender Development Index. Women-led SMEs in the country still face an estimated unmet financing need of $195 million, with around 22,000 women-owned businesses underserved by the formal financial system. According to the Development Bank of Namibia, although hundreds of fully and partially women-owned businesses have received support since 2006, they have accounted for only a small share of the Bank’s total funding allocation. DBN For Her is intended to directly address this imbalance by intentionally designing financial solutions that expand inclusive economic participation and unlock the full potential of women entrepreneurs in Namibia.
