As Namibia’s pioneer development microfinance institution, Kongalend continuously seeks to establish partnerships with development finance institutions (DFIs), locally and internationally, to deploy development impact oriented capital in order to provide access to sections of the Namibian population that have no access or remain financially underserved in order to stimulate economic activity through setting up or expansion of MSME enterprises and investing in renewable energy technologies to create jobs and to secure household food security, particularly among rural communities.
Government Institutions Pension Fund
In 2010, Kongalend and the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) entered into a ten year investment agreement under GIPF’s unlisted investment portfolio, that resulted in the placement of development capital through which Kongalend was able to provide its range of microfinance products, thereby making a tangible and visible contribution to the Namibian economy through the provision of inclusive and affordable productive credit to individual off-grid households to light up their homes with solar systems and MSME enterprises, targeted mainly to communities in the rural and off-grid areas, thereby stimulating economic activity, the expansion of a renewable energy sector and the improvement of lives and livelihoods.
Savings Banks Foundation for International Co-operation
In 2015, Kongalend and the German Savings Banks Foundation for International Co-operation entered into a five year banking technical agreement to augment Kongalend’s product offering (which includes MSMEs, group microenterprise, green energy and agribusiness finance), to expand its geographic footprint by opening up additional branches in communities where its services are most needed, and to strengthen its equity position through the extension of a line of credit to Kongalend to expand its geographic footprint, readying it to lay the foundation of a Namibian deposit taking microfinance institution and support its natural and strategic evolution into a fully-fledged Tier-2 deposit taking microfinance institution.
Fair Planet
Fair Planet is a German-based Climate Justice Cooperative that tries to hit three targets at the same time, through: Mutual global climate protection; Energy access, Poverty reduction and chances for sustainable development in the disadvantaged south and east of the earth; and an environmentally friendly energy supply in the industrialized north. Fair Planet has developed, financed and operates projects in Germany, Kenia, Nigeria, Namibia and the Philippines, together with members from all over Germany and 12 other countries around the world and in collaboration with partner organisations in developing countries.
In 2022, Fair Planet and Kongalend signed a collaborative agreement for the deployment of development credit to Kongalend for on-lending to finance basic green energy solar home systems with a capacity of between 3–4 lights for the low-income rural women and the youth population in off-grid communities in rural areas and the informal settlements in the areas of the geographic outreach of Kongalend through short-term loans granted to women-headed households, micro entrepreneurs and youth in business.
The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia
The Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia (EIF) is an investment fund established under the laws of Namibia through an act of parliament, the Environmental Investments Fund Act, No.130 of 2001 as a statutory entity outside the public service with clear and separate roles and functions distinct from Government body and entity. The Fund is established to mobilize development financial resources that will generate a sustainable financial pool for direct investment in environmental protection, promotion of green energy technologies and other natural resource management activities and projects, which aims to support the climate mitigation efforts and sustainable economic development in Namibia. The Fund promotes the sustainable economic development of Namibia through investment in and promotion of activities and projects that protect and maintain the natural and environmental resources of the country.
In 2023, EIF and Kongalend established a green impact facility within Kongalend to bolster our capacity to deploy more development oriented capital to finance climate mitigation and sustainable investments in the green energy, sustainable agriculture and tourism sectors and to unlock the economic potential for Namibian MSMEs and smallholder farmers engaged in or wishing to diversify their farming operations and income, by venturing into the biomass value chain production.