Funding for small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa remains a significant challenge, largely due to the collateral requirements imposed by financial institutions. 

These were the sentiments shared by various participants attending Figuring Out Finance for Africa's SMEs at the AU MSME Forum in the Capital. 

SMEs are critical to any economy as they make significant impacts on the country's economic development through job creation and innovation. 

However, many SMEs in Africa face difficulties in accessing finances because they lack the traditional forms of collateral, such as land or buildings, which are often required by banks.