![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cfi.co\/awards\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Barclays.jpg\")
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Africa is on the move and the pushing is being done by SMEs \u2013 small and medium-sized enterprises. Small businesses account for more than a third of the continent\u2019s economic output and are its main source of jobs. Africa is home to millions of budding entrepreneurs eager to tap into local and even global markets. Their ambition is often as great as their business savvy. The bottleneck that often stops Africa\u2019s up-and-coming businesses from seizing opportunity is access to financing \u2013 both for working capital and expansion drives \u2013 and business knowledge.<\/strong><\/p>\n Barclays Africa Group, present in twelve countries and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, was one of the first to identify \u2013 and meet \u2013 the needs of Africa\u2019s SMEs. The bank reached out to entrepreneurs with a fully-featured business portal that helps users gain access to skills development and mentorship programmes, amongst others.<\/p>\n The highly-valued portal enables businesspeople to find public and private procurement contracts and prepare their bids. The bank encourages its larger corporate clients to list their needs and requirements on the portal and thus connect with SMEs.<\/p>\n The bank also actively supports fin-tech innovation through RISE, a community of entrepreneurial movers and shakers that brings together start-ups and established businesses to form a fertile pool that breeds innovation.<\/p>\n The CFI.co judging panel is particularly impressed with the bank\u2019s continued efforts to help SMEs source opportunities. By doing so, Barclays Africa Group helps an already dynamic sector grow and prosper. The judges are aware that they have recognised the bank\u2019s SME-friendly policies twice before and appreciate the consistency displayed by the group. The judges\u2019 have no hesitation in recommending Barclays Africa Group for a third win and therefore offer the bank their 2017 Best SME Partner Bank Africa Award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Africa is on the move and the pushing is being done by SMEs \u2013 small and medium-sized enterprises. Small businesses account for more than a third of the continent\u2019s economic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,10,5],"tags":[83,147],"class_list":["post-5330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-banking","category-europe","tag-83","tag-bluechip"],"yoast_head":"\n