GLOBAL
SME FINANCE FORUM

15 - 17 September 2025 | Johannesburg, South Africa

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are crucial for global economies, accounting for over two-thirds of employment and playing a vital role in job creation and economic resilience. However, they face persistent financing gaps that hinder their potential for inclusive growth.  

To address these challenges, the Global SME Finance Forum, the SME Finance Forum’s annual flagship event organised with Strategic Partner Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) will convene a diverse network of financial institutions, fintechs, and multilaterals to explore strategies for enhancing SME access to finance, driving innovation, and aligning growth with SDGs through thought-provoking discussions and interactive panels. 

Organised by

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SMEFF
Managed by IFC

In collaboration with

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2025 Themes

G20-MSME-Action-Plan-Financing-and-Policy-Enablers
G20 MSME Action Plan: Financing and Policy Enablers
Digital-Innovation--Powering-SME-Growth-and-Global-Competitiveness
Digital Innovation: Powering SME Growth and Global Competitiveness
Empowering-SMEs-in-Sustainability-Resilience-and-Growth
Empowering SMEs in Sustainability, Resilience and Growth

Highlights from the 2024 Forum

2024 in Numbers

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1200

participants

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240

institutions

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60

countries

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80

sessions

2025 Forum Overview

Monday
15 September
Tuesday
16 September
Wednesday
17 September
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VIP Dinner (Invitation Only)

Join us for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Perth's world-class supercomputing facilities. This is a rare opportunity to see the sheer power of advanced computation firsthand and understand its transformative potential. Experience the technology that is driving breakthroughs across AI, climate modeling, and blockchain.

Calender Monday, 15th September - Monday, 8th September
Clock 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Forum Stage
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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FutureMatters Stage
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Insights Roundtables
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Deep Dive Workshops
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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1-1 Meetings
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 6:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Boardroom Discussions, Breakfast & Lunch Briefings
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 7:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Networking Drinks
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 8:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Industry Networking Event
Calender Tuesday, 16th September
Clock 9:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Marker Convention Centre
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Members’ Meeting
Calender Wednesday, 17th September
Clock 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Marker Various locations around Johannesburg
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Study Tours
Calender Wednesday, 17th September
Clock 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Marker Various locations around Johannesburg
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Innovation Hubs
Calender Wednesday, 17th September
Clock 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Marker Various locations around Johannesburg
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Members’ Workshops and Trainings
Calender Wednesday, 17th September
Clock 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Marker Various locations around Johannesburg

What Attendees Say 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 there in lies the magic.

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Jane Prokop
Executive Vice President, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mastercard

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.

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Sandy Kemper
Founder & CEO, C2FO, USA

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.

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Rajeev Chalisgaonkar
EVP, Head of Business Banking & Neobiz

2024 Featured Speakers

  • Alexandre Magnani

    Alexandre Magnani

    CEO

    Pagbank

  • Alfonso Garcia Mora

    Alfonso Garcia Mora

    Regional Vice President, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean

    International Finance Corporation (IFC)

  • Jane Prokop

    Jane Prokop

    EVP and Global Head, Small and Medium Enterprises

    Mastercard

  • Mohamed Gouled-1

    Mohamed Gouled

    Vice President

    International Finance Corporation (IFC)

  • Myriam

    Myriam Etile

    Global Head of SMB Insights, Visa Commercial Solutions

    Visa

  • Márcio Luiz França Gomes

    Márcio Luiz França Gomes

    Minister of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business of Brazil

  • m0HReBX9h6ixJzP7it-fUZ-E8aD0JAmmW63eYCPOHvs

    Paolo Sironi

    IBM Global Research Leader, Banking and Financial Markets

    IBM

  • Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams

    Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams

    Minister of Small Business Development

    Republic of South Africa

  • ldaA9Nvm8XPfgvcrRsPO8t6VaY-L3I0qFY1jDtDO6pY

    Vijay Shekhar Sharma

    Founder & Chief Executive Officer

    Paytm