The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have committed to invest in people centred projects that enhance wider rural economic development in Africa and the continents’ member states.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) 2025 in Cape Town, creates a framework for both the DBSA and the IFAD, to mutually benefit from each institution’s expertise.
Boitumelo Mosako, CEO of DBSA, said “infrastructure is at the heart of what we do at DBSA, and our impact is strengthened through the power of partnerships. By working together with like-minded stakeholders, we unlock innovative solutions, drive sustainable development, and create lasting change in communities. It is through collaboration that we harness our collective strength to build a more resilient and prosperous future for all.”
Alvaro Lario, IFAD President, said “we are excited to be working with a leading Public Development Bank such as DBSA. The partnership offers an important opportunity to jointly leverage additional resources and expertise for our projects, enhancing their impact on rural development, poverty reduction, climate resilience and economic growth across Africa.”
DBSA and IFAD will actively support a co-financing pipeline where IFAD projects are further bolstered financially and technically, contributing to improved project design and implementation, ultimately ensuring enhanced development outcomes in rural communities.
Projects funded are in six areas – integrated sustainable development that enhances the well-being of targeted rural communities, environmental conservation and resilience through innovative practices and financing instruments, empowerment of rural communities with improved value chains and social infrastructure that contributes to dynamic economies, knowledge sharing and capacity building, regional collaboration and financing for transforming rural areas, and governance and policy support.