At SHONA Capital, our distinction lies in our deep and local experience, gained over a decade of supporting small businesses and startups in East Africa through our parent company, SHONA Group.

All our staff, have experience owning or working for small businesses, which brings a distinct advantage to our approach. They've walked the same path as our clients, facing the same hurdles. This personal journey infuses our approach with real-world insights, ensuring that every solution and interaction with our clients, is backed by a profound understanding of the local business environment.

Our experience is deeply rooted in the local dynamics and intricacies that shape the business landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa. We know the challenges, we recognize the opportunities, and we tailor our solutions accordingly.

We believe in small businesses in a way that traditional lenders and traditional VC Funds don’t.

We understand that nurturing a business to thrive requires more than financial capital. Our dedicated team, coupled with a curated network of experts, is committed to helping small businesses overcome critical financial, sales, HR, and operations bottlenecks, ultimately optimizing their growth trajectory and boosting profitability.

Our management support is hands-on and results oriented, with each engagement focused on optimizing measurable growth and impact.

We also know that entrepreneurs are experts at starting and growing businesses. We foster meaningful connections and facilitate peer-driven learning within our portfolio of businesses.

We strive to provide simple and flexible debt that is tailored to our clients' needs.

We recognize that collateral can be a significant barrier to funding for many SMEs. That is why we take a unique, entrepreneurial approach. We make loan decisions based on a holistic examination of a company's finances, growth plan, managerial capacity, and growth potential.

Instead of offering fixed standard terms, we offer flexible, customizable schedules that align with the business’ cash flow cycles.

We see ourselves as partners invested in our client's long-term success. From the start, we take time to understand each business and entrepreneur we work with deeply. We want to know their vision, values, and goals beyond growth and profitability.

Our financing serves as a bridge, connecting short- to medium-term opportunities with the long-term growth plan. We know that a $5k loan is a small but important first step to getting the $100k loan.

We recognize that building a thriving business in East Africa isn't always a linear, hockey-stick trajectory; it takes several financing cycles and requires a dedicated partner.