Global SME Finance Forum

15 - 17 September 2025 | Johannesburg, South Africa
The Global SME Finance Forum is the leading conference on SME financing. Its 2024 edition was themed "AI-powered Digital and Sustainable SME Finance", and brought together financial executives, fintechs, development banks, and experts.

Global SME Finance Forum

GFTN is honoured to be a Strategic Partner for the Global SME Finance Forum, the SME Finance Forum’s annual flagship event. 

It convenes global & regional banks, fintechs, big-techs, e-commerce players, multilaterals, development finance institutions, credit guarantee corporations, banking associations, SME associations, microfinance institutions, non-bank financial institutions, central banks, academia, training providers, think tanks, investors, trade platforms, ministries, G20 counterparts to catalyze and scale SME finance.

It will feature a series of thought-provoking speakers and interactive panels that will explore the digital and sustainable transitions taking place in the SME finance sector. 

Join us at the Global SME Finance Forum 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa

About the Forum

The Global SME Finance Forum is hosted by the SME Finance Forum, a network of over 300 leading banks, non-banking financial institutions, fintechs and development banks, created by the G20 in 2012 and managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

The Forum’s objective is to scale SME finance for job creation and economic growth. As the leading SME finance network globally, GSMEFF steers industry innovations, support replication of best practices, steer policy advocacy, and foster global knowledge transfer. The organisers also power the Forum's global peer learning membership network by connecting them with relevant partners, investors and policymakers.  Last year’s event was organised in partnership with the Brazilian G20 Presidency, the Brazilian Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business (MEMP), with support from Brazil Development Bank (BNDES) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

GFTN Home - Platforms (2)

Forum Stage

The Forum Stage hosts leadership dialogues on strengthening SME resilience in turbulent economic times. Engage with G20 leaders, policymakers, and financial innovators as they discuss macroeconomic headwinds, trade disruptions, and financing gaps affecting small businesses globally. Sessions explore policy frameworks that enhance financial inclusion, regulatory approaches supporting innovation, and technological solutions bridging the SME financing gap.

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Private-Public Roundtables

The Forum's deep dive roundtables offer an exclusive opportunity to engage in focused, small-group discussions on the most pressing issues in SME Finance. Held under Chatham House rules, these roundtables encourage open and candid dialogue, enabling participants to share insights, explore challenges, and collaborate on actionable solutions. Designed for meaningful interaction, they bring together policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to tackle complex topics and emerging trends in an intimate and confidential setting.

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Learning Day

A dynamic finale to the Forum offering hands-on opportunities to connect, learn, and collaborate. Highlights include the SMEFF Community Meeting on member-driven impact and priorities, the Innovation Hub tackling key themes like sustainable finance and women’s entrepreneurship, expert-led Trainings with practical tools and insights, and immersive Study Visits to leading institutions showcasing real-world innovations in SME finance.

Hosted by

 

Organised by

 

SME Finance Forum
Managed by IFC
GFTN

2024 forum themes

The agenda provided a holistic view on SME finance with coverage on the following themes

Agri finance
AgriFinance and the role of AgTech and
climate-smart solutions
Embedded Finance
Digital, FinTech solutions and role of
embedded finance
Supply chain finance
Supply chain finance, the deep tiers, sustainable
and digitally enabled solutions
Sustainable finance
Sustainable finance solutions for SMEs,
reporting, products, and capital markets
Women’s Entrepreneurship Finance (1)
Women's entrepreneurship finance,
gender-disaggregated data, products 
Risk Mitigation
Risk mitigation, climate risk, insurance, risk
sharing, credit guarantee schemes

Featured 2025 speakers

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Charlotte Keenan

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

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Dr. Dorothy Nyambi

Chief Executive Officer, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)

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Ethiopis Tafara

Regional Vice President, Africa, International Finance Corporation

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John Gachora

Group Managing Director, NCBA Group

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Lamia Kamal-Chaoui

Director, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities

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Lyle Horsley

Head of Fintech, South African Reserve Bank

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Manoj Mittal

Chairman and Managing Director, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Mike Ogbalu III

Mike Ogbalu III

Chief Executive Officer, Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)
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Nontobeko Lubisi

Director, Financial Inclusion, National Treasury of South Africa

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Dr. Patrick Njoroge

Former Governor, Central Bank of Kenya

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Pearl Nkrumah

Africa Head, Retail & Digital Banking (Excl. Nigeria), Access Bank Plc

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Ravi Menon

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN); Ambassador (Climate Action), Singapore & Former Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore

See what others have said about the forum

"The SME Finance Forum’s annual conference meets a critical need in the SME financing world: the need to bring together top decision-makers in a truly thoughtful way, where the International Finance Corporation’s deep knowledge of players can be leveraged to help participants zero in on the partners who can best meet their needs. In most conferences, the search for the right partner is a “needle in a haystack” exercise. Not so at the Finance Forum, and therein lies the magic. "

 
Jane Prokop 

Executive Vice President, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mastercard

Jane Prokop
rajeev chalisgaonkar (1)

"I’ve been blown away by the quality of speakers, the seniority, and the level of thinking.
It’s very 
clear that if you’re interested in SME Finance, if you’re interested in being part of this global opportunity to change things for small business, this is the place 
to be."

 

Rajeev Chalisgaonkar
EVP, Head of Business Banking & Neobiz

SAndy Kemper (1)

"This is my sixth or seventh Annual Meeting I have attended, and I can see the change. Five years back, some of the same people were talking about ideas they were trying out. Now they are talking about successful, profitable business they are running based on those ideas. It is quite gratifying to see that shift happening.'

Sandy Kemper 
Founder & CEO, C2FO, USA 

Almutasem Alkhateeb (1)

"Beyond expectation! I had the privilege to attend the Global SME Finance Forum today in Mumbai, India. It was enriching and epic in a meaningful way – we jumped from one session to another with an enthusiastic mindset toward the next discussion session without feeling overwhelmed."


Almutasem Alkhateeb
 

Business Development Manager, Kafalah, Saudi Arabia

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