Financial limitations continue to hold women back from starting and scaling successful businesses despite their being the backbone of many micro and small enterprises. Many African women cannot secure loans, attract investors, or even open and sustain basic bank accounts for business operations. However, Solape Akinpelu has made it her mission to empower African women to take control of their finances through her fintech platform, HerVest.
HerVest is an innovative fintech platform that empowers women, particularly in rural and underserved areas, with tools to save, invest, and access credit. Its savings are tied to VFD Microfinance Bank, which the Central Bank of Nigeria regulates. By offering tailored loans to smallholder women farmers and women-led SMEs, HerVest helps fund their businesses, strengthen their farms, and build financial resilience for unexpected challenges.
The fintech is working to tackle Africa’s $42 billion gender funding gap, of which over 36% is tied to agriculture, by creating growth opportunities for female smallholder farmers in rural areas. The platform supports specific crops, grain storage, livestock, and digitised e-extension services.
Revamping rural women’s finances with HerVest
Since its inception, HerVest has strived to break financial barriers and provide women with economic independence and security tools. The goal is to empower women by giving them greater access to financial services.
HerVest has helped over 25,000 women use the platform to save, invest, and grow their businesses. Through the platform, Akinpelu seeks to build a society where every African woman, regardless of location or economic background, can create wealth and achieve her financial goals.
Who is Solape Akinpelu?
Solape Akinpelu strongly advocates financial inclusion and gender equality in Africa. She has built a solid career in finance and marketing and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and a Certified Financial Education Instructor.
Akinpelu is the Chapter Director for Women in Tech Nigeria, where she leads efforts to close the gender gap in the technology sector and create opportunities for women to participate in and benefit from the growing digital economy.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Akinpelu held prominent marketing and corporate communication roles in top Nigerian financial institutions, including Meristem, Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank), Sterling Bank, and Wema Bank. Her experience in these roles helped her understand how to handle finance. These experiences broadened her perspective on the gaps in the financial sector, which fueled her decision to co-found HerVest alongside Yomi Ogunleye.
Furthermore, Solape Akinpelu has authored ‘Stripped: An African Woman’s Guide to Building Generational Wealth’. This evidence-based, comprehensive guide provides actionable steps for women to bridge Africa’s $42 billion gap in gender financing and build sustainable wealth. She is affiliated with several organisations, including the Personal Finance Speakers Association (USA), the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Women in Tech Global Movement, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Women’s Economic Empowerment.
As a sought-after speaker on conversations regarding financial inclusion and gender equality across media platforms and conferences, she has been named among the 100 Most Impactful Women Founders by Ranks Africa for her initiatives in inclusive fintech and gender equity.
