• OeEB and Finnfund issue $25M loan to CRDB Burundi
• 4,000 MSMEs to benefit, 30% funds for women-led firms
• Deal marks OeEB’s first Burundi investment with EU backing
  

The Austrian development bank OeEB and the Finnish development financier Finnfund have made their first investment in Burundi, providing a $25 million loan to CRDB Bank Burundi, the institutions announced on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. The loan will help finance about 4,000 micro and small businesses, with at least 30% of the funds reserved for women-led enterprises.

"This investment also marks an important milestone for OeEB as both our first transaction in Burundi and first backed by an EU guarantee," said Sabine Gaber, CEO and Executive Committee member of OeEB.

The facility, backed by the Austrian Ministry of Finance and the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), seeks to expand credit access for Burundian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which face a financing gap of about $490 million, according to Finnfund. Financial inclusion in the country remains very low, where only 21% of adults have access to financial services.

"This milestone is not just a transactional agreement through a credit facility, it is a foundation of a long-lasting partnership. For the bank to deliver our strategic blueprint where we aspire to be the market leader, this requires further collaboration. We look forward to strengthening our partnership to improve livelihoods and deliver sustainable impact," said Fredrick Luhozyo Siwale, Managing Director of CRDB Bank Burundi.

The three institutions signed two financing agreements in Vienna in early September 2025 to support women-owned MSMEs and promote women’s economic inclusion.

CRDB Bank Burundi is the third-largest bank in Burundi, holding a 16% market share of total assets and 15% of customer deposits at the end of 2023, according to its annual report. Its credit portfolio surged by 123% to 683.7 billion Burundian francs ($231 million), up from 307.6 billion francs at the end of 2022. The bank has stated its intention to achieve higher profitability in 2024 through the expansion of loans to businesses and individuals.

The bank’s pre-tax profit rose 51% to 33.07 billion Burundian francs by end-2023, from 21.85 billion a year earlier. Net profit grew 55% year on year to 31.49 billion francs.

Chamberline Moko