In 2000, American businessman Gregory Casagrande established the South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) to bridge the financial inclusion gap in the South Pacific. In this region, many people live in rural areas without access to traditional banking. SPBD Tonga is an entitiy of SPBD Group, and was set up in 2009. The microfinance institution has been at the forefront of combating financial inequality. Their efforts have positively impacted over 50% of households in Tonga, with a particular focus on female micro-entrepreneurs. To date, SPBD Tonga has facilitated over 73,000 microloans totaling approximately 182 million Tongan Pa'anga (equivalent to about 72 million EUR). Besides organizing their loan collections through weekly community sessions, they also provide a savings program, empowering entrepreneurs to consistently grow their assets.
General information
| Borrower | South Pacific Business Development Microfinance Ltd |
| Country | Tonga |
| Head office | Nuku’alofa |
| Website | https://www.spbdmicrofinance.com/spbd-network/tonga |
| Founded | 3 September 2009 |
| Active on Lendahand since | 10 October 2023 |
| Credit Score | 3.10 |
Financial information per 2023-06-30
| Portfolio Overview | €5,982,814 |
| Leverage ratio | 53.00% |
| Write-off ratio last 12 months | 0.00% |
| % investment amount in arrears (>90 days) | 0.00% |
About Tonga
Tonga (officially the Kingdom of Tonga (Tongan: Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Almost two-thirds of Tonga's population live on the main island Tongatapu, where also the capital city Nuku'alofa is located.Tonga was first inhabited roughly 2,500 years ago by the Lapita civilization, Polynesian settlers who gradually evolved a distinct and strong ethnic identity, language, and culture as the Tongan people.
Last funded project
TongaTonga SPBD
With the support of a loan from SPBD Tonga, artisan Eseta expanded her assortment of handcrafted mats, tapa cloths, and jewellery. SPBD Tonga is deeply committed to supporting female SME entrepreneurs. When you invest, you're directly fostering the growth and empowerment of 150 female entrepreneurs in the South Paci...View project