Bank financing for small enterprises in Egypt has reached around $5.8 billion, while total bank and non-bank financing for microenterprises exceeded $2.1 billion, according to Tarek El-Kholy, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt.
Speaking at the CERISE+SPTF Global Meeting 2026, El-Kholy said Egypt has approximately 3.858 million micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). They represent 99.3% of all enterprises and provide around 12.5 million jobs, or 82% of total employment.
Of the microenterprise financing total, banks provide about $634 million directly. A further $1.3 billion is channelled through banks to entities, associations and companies that lend to microenterprises. The portfolio serves more than 3.9 million clients.
Microenterprises make up around 80% of Egypt’s MSMEs, compared with 19% for small businesses and 0.7% for medium-sized companies, based on the 2022/2023 economic census.
The CBE requires banks to allocate 25% of their credit portfolios to MSMEs, including 10% for small enterprises. Its NilePreneurs initiative operates 140 business development centres across 25 governorates and has helped facilitate nearly $461 million in financing, the central bank said.
El-Kholy also said the CBE is developing mechanisms to help informal businesses access finance based on their activity, repayment capacity and business behaviour, while gradually building financial records and credit histories.
Source: Fast Company Middle East
