Global SME Finance Forum 2025

The Global SME Finance Forum 2025, organized by the SME Finance Forum (managed by the International Finance Corporation) in collaboration with strategic partner Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), is the leading annual conference dedicated to advancing SME financing for job creation, economic growth, and innovation. Held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, this three-day event from September 15-17, 2025, attracts over 1,200 participants from more than 60 countries, including financial institutions, fintechs, development banks, policymakers, and SME associations. As an official side event of the G20 South Africa Presidency, it convenes global and regional stakeholders to explore digital and sustainable transitions in SME finance, building on past editions' focus on themes like AI-powered solutions and climate-smart practices.

Purpose and Objectives

The primary purpose of the Global SME Finance Forum 2025 is to address persistent financing gaps for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which account for over two-thirds of global employment and drive job creation, by fostering strategies for enhanced access to finance, innovation, and inclusive growth. The event aims to catalyze SME finance through discussions on creating enabling environments like the G20 MSME Action Plan, digital innovations for competitiveness, and sustainable solutions amid economic resilience challenges. It seeks to connect banks, fintechs, multilaterals, and policymakers to promote risk mitigation, women's entrepreneurship, and new financial instruments, ultimately scaling SME contributions to global economies while supporting replication of best practices and policy advocacy.

Key Activities

The forum features a comprehensive program including a main Forum Stage with high-level panels on market access and entrepreneurial skills, private-public roundtables, deep-dive workshops on sustainable finance and digital solutions, and boardroom discussions with breakfast and lunch briefings. Attendees can participate in the SME Finance Forum Awards Ceremony recognizing excellence in categories like innovation and impact, an industry networking event for deal-making, and members-only sessions such as the SMEFF Community Meeting for strategic insights and Q&A. Additional activities encompass innovation hubs on themes like agri-finance and supply chain finance, specialized trainings by IFC experts, and study visits to local institutions showcasing SME banking best practices around Johannesburg.

Significance

Hosted in Johannesburg, a key African hub for financial innovation, the Global SME Finance Forum 2025 highlights SMEs' role in economic resilience amid global challenges like financing gaps and digital transitions, positioning South Africa and the G20 Presidency as leaders in inclusive growth. By uniting over 240 institutions from diverse sectors, it promotes cross-border collaborations to tackle issues such as climate risk, embedded finance, and gender-disaggregated data, influencing policy and best practices in hard-to-abate areas like sustainable SME lending. The event's legacy, with past attendance exceeding 1,200 participants, establishes it as a cornerstone for global knowledge transfer and peer learning in SME finance, inspiring broader adoption of scalable solutions amid worldwide economic pressures.

Expected Outcomes

The Global SME Finance Forum 2025 is expected to generate actionable strategies for SME finance innovation, leading to new partnerships, investments in digital tools, and policy recommendations that enhance funding access and entrepreneurial skills for resilient growth. Participants will form networks for ongoing collaboration, access practical tools from sessions on risk sharing and green finance, and contribute to frameworks like the G20 Action Plan, resulting in measurable impacts such as increased job creation and SME competitiveness. The event aims to inspire scalable initiatives, including climate-smart solutions and fintech integrations, while strengthening global efforts toward inclusive economic development through informed, collective action.

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