The WDB Trust

What The WDB Trust does

The WDB Trust is a South African non-profit trust founded in 1991 by Zanele Mbeki to economically empower rural women as a pathway out of poverty. It operates four interlocking programmes: a Microfinance Programme offering interest-bearing loans of R1,000–R8,000 at 27% p.a. with a 3% once-off initiation fee under the Grameen Bank group-lending model; a Zenzele Development Programme delivering a three-year holistic community development model rooted in the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology and the Greenlight/Poverty Stoplight self-evaluation tool across 18 dimensions; a Training Academy Programme delivering ICT literacy (Microsoft Office, basic computer skills), health, and enterprise management training with an R100 once-off commitment fee for BCS Youth registration; and a Pan-African Advocacy Pillar encompassing the biennial African Women in Dialogue (AfWID) forum and the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship for young feminist leaders aged 25–35.

The organisation reaches its beneficiaries through a network of 17+ field offices across Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, anchored by a Johannesburg head office, with community-based field officers conducting village-level meetings, loan group sessions, and home visits. Since 1991, WDB Trust has disbursed over 200,000 microloans and the Microfinance Programme was relaunched in 2024 with R100 million in deployed capital following a temporary suspension in 2021. Other documented cumulative outcomes include 100,000+ women served by 2000, approximately 10,000 Training Academy clients, 550+ ICT graduates, 1,200+ participants at AfWID 3 across 55 African countries, and 180 ICT graduates in March–April 2025.

WDB Trust's revenue mechanics mix three streams: (i) microfinance interest and transaction fees from the lending book; (ii) donor and grant funding to support poverty alleviation programmes; and (iii) returns from WDB Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a wholly-owned commercial investment subsidiary established in 1997 that invests across consumer goods, real estate, telecoms, media & technology, education, renewable energy, healthcare, and retail. The ownership structure is governed by a Board of Trustees with Patrons including Zanele Mbeki, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sally Motlana, and Gertrude Shope (deceased); current leadership comprises CEO Riah Phiyega, COO Isabella Makuta, and CFO Mororiseng Maapola.

Name

The WDB Trust

Legal name

WDB Trust

Website

https://wdbtrust.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The WDB Trust is a South African non-profit trust founded in 1991 that economically empowers rural women through group-lending microfinance (Grameen Bank model), the ABCD-based Zenzele Development Programme, ICT and enterprise skills training, and pan-African advocacy via the AfWID forum and Zanele Mbeki Fellowship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Microfinance Interest and Fees: Revenue generated from interest-bearing microloans at 27% p.a. with 3% once-off initiation fee. Loans range from R1000 to R8000 for rural women entrepreneurs.
2. WDB Investment Holdings: Commercial investment arm established in 1997 to generate funds for WDB Trust, building portfolio investments in diversified sectors including Consumer Goods, Real Estate, Telecoms, Media & Technology, Education, Renewable Energy, Healthcare, and Retail.
3. Donor and Grant Funding: Funding from donors and development partners to support poverty alleviation programmes and operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The WDB Trust delivers group-based microfinance loans to rural South African women using the Grameen Bank model, alongside a holistic suite of community development, social upliftment, and skills training programmes. It operates complementary pillars covering microenterprise credit, the Zenzele Development Programme for families and communities, a Training Academy for skills, and a Pan-African Advocacy pillar including AfWID and the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship.

Product overview

The WDB Trust is a South African microfinance and development organization offering four interconnected programmes: the Microfinance Programme (providing interest-bearing microloans following the Grameen Bank model), the Zenzele Development Programme (holistic community development using the ABCD approach), the Training Academy Programme (skills development in ICT, health, and entrepreneurship), and the Pan-African Advocacy Pillar (encompassing AfWID dialogue forums and the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship for feminist leadership). The organisation also operates WDB Investment Holdings as its commercial investment arm for sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• African Women in Dialogue (AfWID): An inclusive platform of dialogue committed to strengthening the continental African women's movement towards a new value-based ecosystem. Holds biennial dialogues bringing together African women from diverse backgrounds to discuss issues of continental importance.
• Zanele Mbeki Fellowship (ZMF)
• WDB Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Products and services

• Microfinance Programme Group-based microcredit loans following the Grameen Bank methodology, extended to rural South African women entrepreneurs for income-generating activities. Includes initiation fees, loan capital and solidarity group formation.
• Zenzele Development Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ microloans disbursed since founding
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alex ForbesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Alex Forbes partnered with WDB Trust during 2025 roadshows, providing valuable insights on financial planning to staff members across provinces.
• Kaelo HealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Kaelo Health participated in WDB Trust 2025 roadshows, sharing wellness insights with employees as part of staff wellness initiatives.
• WOSSO (Women of South Speak Out – Gender Links)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WOSSO participated in the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship Roundtable alongside WDB Trust, sharing feminist leadership models and exploring collaboration on leadership development initiatives.
• Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FALF joined WDB Trust's Fellowship Roundtable to exchange ideas on feminist mentorship and leadership programme design for African women.
• Women Creating Wealth (Graca Machel Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Women Creating Wealth participated in the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship Roundtable, contributing to discussions on leadership models and women's economic empowerment.
• Nelson Mandela University (NMU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Nelson Mandela University participated in the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship Roundtable, bringing academic perspectives to feminist leadership development discussions.
• Grameen TrustcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024WDB Trust teams visited Grameen Trust in Bangladesh in March 2025 to learn from the pioneer of community microfinance, gaining insights on daily group meetings, flexible repayment structures, and local female leadership models.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pro Mujer: Latin American microfinance and women's empowerment organisation combining small loans with health and education services. Highly comparable integrated model (finance + training + development) targeting low-income women.
• Grameen Bank: Bangladesh-based originator of the group-lending microfinance model that WDB Trust explicitly replicates. WDB Trust signed a knowledge-transfer partnership with Grameen Trust in 2024-25 and relaunched its Microfinance Programme using the Grameen Bank approach.
• FINCA International: Global microfinance institution providing group and individual loans to low-income women entrepreneurs across Africa, Latin America, and Eurasia. Comparable mission, group-lending methodology, and rural women target segment.
• Opportunity International: Global microfinance organisation providing small loans, savings, and training to people in developing countries, with significant Africa operations. Comparable product offering (microloans + financial literacy + training) targeting rural entrepreneurs.
• BRAC: Large international development organisation combining microfinance with skills training, health, and education programmes. WDB Trust mirrors BRAC's integrated multi-pillar approach (microfinance + development + training + advocacy).
• Women's World Banking: Global non-profit network investing in women's financial inclusion through partner MFIs worldwide. Directly comparable mission focus on rural women entrepreneurs, capacity building, and sustainable microfinance models.
• Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF): South African non-profit microfinance institution targeting poor rural women using the Grameen Bank methodology. Direct domestic peer operating in the same rural provinces and serving the same population with similar group-lending products.
• Hand in Hand Southern Africa: South African non-profit focused on self-help savings groups and enterprise development for rural women. Closely comparable community-led development model and rural women target market within the same country context.

Broad incumbents

• Accion International: Global non-profit committed to financial inclusion through microfinance and fintech, with operations across Africa. Comparable women-focused microfinance mandate and rural entrepreneur target, but at much larger global scale.

Regional players

• Khula Enterprise Finance: South African government-supported SME finance platform (formerly Khula Credit Guarantee Scheme) providing loans to small businesses, including in rural areas. Comparable domestic context and rural SME target market, though operating with different instruments (guarantees vs direct lending).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thewdbtrust1772
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewdbtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wdb-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/wdbtrust
• Xx.com/wdbtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The WDB Trust