Oikocredit sells its equity shares in Banco de Desarrollo Rural (Banrural), Guatemala

Oikocredit has sold its equity investment in Banrural, having helped the bank develop into a leading Guatemalan financial inclusion institution since first investing in it in 2009.

By end-2023 Banrural had reached a total of 3.5 million clients and held more than 5.1 million savings accounts and 28 per cent of total savings managed in Guatemala’s financial system. With an equity base of GTQ 12,423 million (EUR 1.47 billion) and 9,000 direct jobs, its clients include members of rural communities, Indigenous peoples, and cooperative and women’s organisations.

Banrural has consistently promoted financial inclusion, served people at the base of the pyramid and pioneered access to finance. Oikocredit has played a key role through its equity holding and partnership in helping unlock the bank’s potential, supporting its consolidation and mission fulfilment, and strengthening Guatemala’s cooperative movement. Now a major player in the country’s financial ecosystem, Banrural has extended its mission to neighbouring Honduras.

Oikocredit has sold its equity shares to nine independent cooperatives and federations, helping further democratise Banrural’s capital base and fostering fair future wealth distribution among Guatemalan communities.

Read the press release here