Philanthropy can unlock more capital for business impact

Philanthropic inflows to Africa in 2023 were estimated at $4.3 billion, according to a Bridgespan report published in July 2025. Beyond direct grants, philanthropic funding can strengthen organisations, demonstrate that solutions work, reduce risk and build partnerships that help attract other capital. Potential pathways include commercial finance, impact investment, blended finance, institutional capital and government procurement. Twiga Foods illustrates the challenges of a venture-funded model that relied more heavily on debt as growth equity tightened, despite needing patient capital to prove its economics.