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Sub-Saharan Africa

In Africa we work in two distinct regions where we are advancing gender equity, creating meaningful jobs for the region's large youth population, and combating climate-related impacts.

In East Africa, smallholder farmers grow coffee, macadamia nuts, and sorghum that powers the economy, as well as local food crops to feed the growing population. These farmers depend on agricultural businesses to help them access domestic and international markets. With a regional office in Kenya and colleagues based throughout the region, we help these businesses grow.

West Africa is a region dominated by farming, with families cultivating everything from cash crops to nutritious local grains. We’re innovating new ways to finance and train agricultural enterprises that buy local food crops—cassava, rice, millet—to feed the region’s rapidly-growing population while also working with businesses to improve livelihoods for the region’s cocoa farmers.

In this region we currently work in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Stories of Impact

The Sungbo Women Empowerment Organization: A Story of Determination and Growth in Rural Ghana

Founder and CEO of the Sungbo Women Empowerment Organization, Portia Gban. Credit: Thomejay Studios. In Ghana, women from the northern region often travel south after the soy and maize harvest to earn additional income. In doing so, they expose themselves to extreme vulnerabilities, including sleeping outdoors, sexual assault, contraction of HIV, and unplanned pregnancies. Portia Gban wanted to find a…

Talent Partnership Spotlight: Bilha Wanjira Kirera

24-year-old Bilha Wanjira Kirera was born and raised in the village of Difatha, just 10 kilometers west of Embu, an important economic and cultural center in the Eastern Province of Kenya...

Rebuild Women’s Hope: A Dynamic Coffee Cooperative Empowering Women in the DRC

Marcelline Budza at Root Capital’s Women’s Council gathering in Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Root Capital In the lead up to International Coffee Day on October 1, we are sharing Rebuild Women’s Hope’s (RWH) story. Keep reading to learn more about this unique coffee cooperative that is on a mission to empower women in the Democratic Republic of the…

IN PHOTOS: A Journey of Impact Through Rwanda’s Rich Coffee Landscape

This summer, I traveled to Rwanda for a regional retreat with Root Capital’s Africa Team, followed by several days visiting our clients in the region. It was an insightful journey through the heart of Rwanda’s coffee industry where I explored the captivating landscapes, entrepreneurial innovation, and incredible economic opportunities created and led by agricultural enterprises...

How Women Coffee Farmers Are Fighting Climate Change in Uganda

Most people in Western Uganda are farmers, dependent on the land and predictable weather patterns for their livelihoods. But climate change has led to unpredictable weather and increased natural disasters. Intense floods have caused mudslides that devastate farmland, while extreme droughts have dried out coffee berries, affecting crop yields, coffee quality, and, ultimately, the income of farming families. “At…

Meet a Young Woman Helping Rwandan Coffee Farmers Improve Their Agricultural Practices

As the youth population explodes worldwide, Root Capital is turning a demographic challenge into an opportunity for impact. Jobs in rural communities are often low paying and sporadic, with little opportunity for advancement-prompting many young people to migrate. Root Capital’s Talent Partnerships program places young graduates into internships at local agricultural enterprises, creating a win/win situation: jobs for the next…