Summary

Proudly, Digna shows us her potato machine. With this investment in her business, she increased the production of her botanas, typical deep-fried Mexican snacks. She now offers her customers crunchy chips in all shapes and sizes. When Digna started her business, she could only produce small amounts. Now, however, her business has grown into a wholesaler with a lot of clients. Digna invested her first loan from Sofipa in pasta and oil, because ingredients are always a major expense. Watch Digna's story in this video.

Loans help entrepreneurs like Digna to grow their businesses. Thanks to your investments, small and medium-sized enterprises can generate employment for other workers in the region and support their families, next to their own. 

This is highly necessary in the Southeast of Mexico, where Sofipa operates. Historically, this is the region with the highest disparities in the country and presents the highest poverty rates. These are the result of educational disadvantages, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to basic services, all of which impede its development. Life for women in this area is even more difficult, which increases their disadvantage. A loan makes women more independent, creating equal opportunities and empowering them.

What social return could your investment generate? 

Your investment through Sofipa enables group loans to about 830 women. Group loans run on a 16-week (4-month) cycle, and per cycle, the women build a credit history that can later help them apply for a formal bank loan. On an initial loan, a group member can borrow a maximum of 7,000 Mexican pesos (340 euros), without collateral. The women guarantee each other, providing a strong social, supportive construct. 

The story of Sofipa

Financial inclusion is one of the problems the region of Oaxaca in Mexico is facing. The scarce offer of financial services specialized in reaching low-income citizens inspired the emergence of Sofipa in February 2004. With its existence, Sofipa contributes to financial inclusion and the region's overall development. 

Sofipa started operating under the legal figure of the Cooperative Society. However, in search of being more competitive and innovative, in 2016, they decided to adopt the legal formation of an Investment Promotion Company, SOFOM, ENR. Read more about Sofipa on their company profile page. Since then, it has enabled at least 10.000 women to expand their businesses and improve the lives of their families.

Sofipa in numbers 

• Founded in 2004 
• 467 employees
• Loan portfolio of €13,968,857 (end of 2022), for female group loans
• Approximately 10.000 credits to women a year

USD Risk 

Check the interest rate and maturity Sofipa offers you as an investor at the top of this page. For more information about possible exchange rate risks, visit our currency page.