• Sahel Capital provided a $2.4 million working-capital loan to Kuapa Kokoo Limited on Jan. 26, 2026.

• The financing flowed through SEFAA, Sahel Capital’s agribusiness debt fund active in 13 Sub-Saharan countries.

• Cocoa contributes about 6% of Ghana’s GDP and supports nearly 30% of the rural population.

Sahel Capital, a private investor specializing in Sub-Saharan agribusiness, announced on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, that it granted a $2.4 million working-capital loan to Kuapa Kokoo Limited (KKL), a Ghanaian cocoa trading company owned by a cooperative of smallholder farmers.

Sahel Capital executed the transaction through the Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa (SEFAA), which the firm launched about five years ago to provide structured debt to agribusiness SMEs across 13 Sub-Saharan African countries.

The financing aims to strengthen Kuapa Kokoo’s cocoa sourcing capacity during the marketing season. The loan should allow the company to increase cocoa bean purchases while improving market access and support for smallholder farmers within its network. Based in Ghana, the company purchases beans directly from cooperative members before delivering them to the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), which oversees exports to international markets at regulated prices.

The transaction renews a $2.4 million facility granted in 2024, which enabled Kuapa Kokoo to reinforce working capital and expand procurement from local producers.

“Kuapa Kokoo remains a strong example of a farmer-owned institution that delivers real value to smallholder farmers,” said Deji Adebusoye, partner at Sahel Capital. He added: “This renewal of the facility reflects our confidence in KKL’s operating model and ensures that farmers within the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union [which brings together more than 100,000 certified cocoa producers], continue to have reliable access to markets.”

Ghana ranks as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, behind Côte d’Ivoire. The sector contributes about 6% of GDP and supports nearly 30% of the rural population. Despite its economic and social weight, the industry faces persistent challenges, including limited access to financing. As in many African countries, Ghanaian banks remain cautious toward agricultural lending due to climate risks, price volatility and the often informal structure of farming operations.

Sandrine Gaingne