Savings and Investment Groups.
Whereas savings and credit groups enable customers to save and borrow from a pool of funds and pay back the loan at a reasonable rate of interest, savings and investment groups are purely designed to pool resources for investment in a mutual objective (no borrowing). Investment groups come with the added benefit of mutual encouragement and motivation to realise the mutual objective.
It is apparent that developing regions will have to rely on their own resources to realise progressive goals. Despite many investment opportunities (e.g housing and food production) in the African continent, access and use of loans from commercial banks is limited by, among other things, collateral security requirements and high interest rates. Ancestors observed that ‘haba haba hujaza kibaba‘ and we believe that there is need for a disciplined savings culture followed by progressive investment. Many success stories began small and were implemented using personal or family resources (at least at the critical early stages) rather than huge bank loans.
At InterCurrency, we find out and disseminate information on effective savings and investment strategies besides supporting clients to form savings and investment groups. We also share information on investment climate and feasible investment activities or areas. Feasibility and market research exercises are conducted on behalf of willing clients as are cost benefit and impact analysis (including environmental impact assessment) for social entrepreneurship or community projects.
Current Idea Centres include: horticulture, health care, nutrition, real estate, construction, metal fabrication, energy, distribution (food, fmcg, agro-inputs, hardware, spare parts) and business solutions (ICT, BPO etc).
Among other investment groups in operation include the Horizon Group.
Please feel free to contact us not only with a view to joining and/or enriching any of these idea centres but also to suggest new idea centres you may find interesting and feasible.
Send an email to info@inter-currency.com