Abstract

The case discusses about how social entrepreneur Victoria Kisyombe (Kisyombe) founded Sero Lease and Finance Ltd. (SELFINA), a social enterprise which provided micro-leasing services to the marginalized women in Tanzania. Women in Tanzania found it difficult to obtain finances from financial institutions to start a business since they did not have any land or asset in their name owing to the customs and traditions prevailing in the country. To tackle this challenge, Kisyombe started SELFINA in 2002 as a micro-leasing facility wherein women who did not own any asset or land and had minimal or no business experience could take equipment on lease from SELFINA and start a business. As of 2023, SELFINA had provided 25,000 leases and had made a positive impact on the lives of 440,000 people, providing US$22 million in credit. In addition to this, the company had helped 200,000 people in Tanzania come out of poverty. By 2023, SELFINA had served 12 districts in Tanzania. The company planned to open more offices in Tanzania and expand into other regions in East Africa. The company received more demand for assets for micro-leasing than it could finance due to financial constraints. Should SELFINA expand geographically? What are the pros and cons of geographical expansion for Kisyombe’s for-profit social venture? What should Kisyombe do to make SELFINA financially sustainable?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze why for-profit social enterprises go for geographical expansion.
• Evaluate how a social entrepreneur can make his/her business financially sustainable.

Keywords

Sero Lease and Finance Ltd.; SELFINA; Victoria Kisyombe; Micro-leasing; Financial lease; Sales and leaseback facility; Marginalized women; Financially sustainable; Gender inequality ; Poverty; Geographical expansion; Financially sustainable; Women micro-entrepreneurs; Economically empowering women; United Nations Sustainable Development Goals