Female entrepreneurs are recording significantly stronger loan repayment performance than their male counterparts, with default rates among women-owned businesses 2.5 times lower than those of male borrowers, according to Moniepoint’s 2025 Impact Report.
The findings highlight the growing role of women entrepreneurs in the micro, small and medium enterprise financing landscape, while challenging longstanding assumptions about the credit risk associated with female-led businesses.
Loans extended to women-owned businesses increased by more than 300% in 2025, pushing female portfolio allocation to 36% of Moniepoint’s total disbursed credit.
The figure is significantly higher than the traditional industry benchmark of between 16% and 25% allocated to women-owned businesses, reflecting growing efforts within the fintech and banking sectors to close the gender credit gap in emerging markets.
For many female entrepreneurs, access to formal credit remains relatively new. The report found that 62% of surveyed female business owners received their first formal business loan through Moniepoint.
Overall, three out of four merchants who obtained credit across the institution’s network were first-time borrowers entering the formal credit system.
The report linked increased access to financing among women to stronger repayment performance and improved business stability.
“When women receive access to credit, the ripple effect on repayment rates and business stability is undeniable,” the report indicated.
The wider economic impact of increased access to credit was also significant. Moniepoint disbursed more than $700 million in credit to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises throughout 2025.
Businesses that benefited from the financing recorded an average 36% increase in transaction value, while 86% of merchants reported higher overall earnings and 88% said their businesses had expanded.
The strong performance of female borrowers came as Moniepoint experienced significant growth across its retail and commercial operations.
The institution processed more than $250 billion in transaction volume during the year and served over 20 million businesses and individual users.
Beyond business expansion, access to capital also contributed to employment growth and wider community economic activity.
Businesses supported by Moniepoint employed more than eight million people in 2025, while 27% of surveyed merchants said they expanded their workforce after receiving financing.
The findings point to the potential for increased lending to women-owned businesses to support both financial inclusion and broader economic growth, particularly as more entrepreneurs transition into the formal credit system.
