Amman, 2018 – Sanadcom for Business
Finance (Sanadcom) is pleased to announce that it is now fully operational, having
secured the entry of Jordan’s Microfund for Women (MfW) and Bahrain’s GMS Ventures
and Investments as anchor investors, with additional equity funding and support
from SANAD Fund for MSME (SANAD) and Women's World Banking Capital Partners, LP
(WWBCP), as strategic international investors. This innovative venture is uniquely
positioned as one of the first companies in the Kingdom of Jordan that is
dedicated to financing small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Sanadcom was established to offer accessible, transparent and
competitive financing for small and medium enterprises in Jordan to help
alleviate poverty; empower entrepreneurs, particularly women; and to foster
employment creation in Jordan. Under the leadership of Raed Qafiti, a seasoned
SME finance executive, Sanadcom has built up an impressive portfolio with almost
400 active clients (of whom 20% are women), with loans ranging in size from JOD
10,000 to JOD 75,000 (approx. USD 15,000 to USD 100,000), and is set to emerge
as a premier lender in this sector. Sanadcom seeks to reflect its gender-diverse
client base in its own operations, with women making up 53% of loan officers
and representing 25% of the senior management team.
Commenting on the launch, Sanadcom Chairman Ghiath
Sukhtian said, “We at Sanadcom are driven by our belief in the importance of
the SME sector in building Jordan's economy, reducing unemployment and driving
overall growth. By providing modern financing products that meet the ambitious
and growing needs of the sector, we aspire to uphold our strong social mission,
empower entrepreneurs with a focus on women, and create job opportunities in
Jordan whilst generating sustainable returns.”
Sanadcom offers a wide range of innovative and tailored
products to address the growing needs of SMEs and to support dynamic growth
entrepreneurs who require financial support and backing as they graduate from
microenterprises into small and medium sized businesses. This service offering
will be complemented by innovative use of delivery channels, new technologies, and
non-financial services to empower young entrepreneurs, particularly women, to
unlock and realize their full potential.
In turn, Sanadcom Board Member and MfW’s Managing Director,
Muna Sukhtian, stated, “SMEs are the heart of the Jordanian economy, and we are
very proud to be launching a company dedicated solely to serving this extremely
critical segment of the Kingdom’s business landscape and supporting the
entrepreneurs and small business owners to establish and develop their
enterprises.”
SANAD Board Chairperson Dr. Daniela Beckmann added, “We are
proud to support the launch of Jordan’s first company dedicated to financing
small and medium enterprises. Sanadcom is uniquely positioned to address this
vastly underserved segment by supporting growth entrepreneurs that have graduated
from microfinance programs and require larger financing lines and backing to
grow and develop their businesses – this speaks to the heart of our mission to
support SMEs and promote innovations in finance throughout the region.”
Mary Ellen
Iskenderian, President and CEO of the global nonprofit Women’s World Banking
and General Partner of WWBCP, said, “It’s undeniable that women-owned SMEs hold
enormous potential for Jordan’s economy. We applaud Sanadcom for its commitment
to serving women entrepreneurs who rely on access to capital to build security
and prosperity for themselves, their families and their businesses. We look
forward to supporting Sanadcom’s future as a model institution for women’s
financial inclusion in Jordan.”
Ms.
Iskenderian also noted that institutions supporting women-owned SMEs are of
particular interest to the fund given their contribution to the global economy.
According to a recent Goldman Sachs
study, the global gender gap in access to credit amounts to a financing
opportunity of approximately USD 285 billion. If the gap is closed by 2020 in
just 15 countries, per capita incomes could on average be 12 percent higher by
2030.