OCBC to support 10,000 women-owned SMEs by 2030 under loan scheme

Move aimed at helping them bridge gap in turnover growth with firms owned by men

- Sheila Chiang Business Correspondent

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) owned by women typically see about 30 per cent lower sales turnover growth in their first three years of operation compared with those owned by men, OCBC Bank data showed.

However, those that secured financing to support their growth were able to bridge this gap.

That is why OCBC is aiming to provide social loans, targeted at improving the growth and resilience of female-owned businesses, to 10,000 women entrepreneurs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia by 2030.

The programme has supported over 2,000 women-owned SMEs across the region, with total social loan commitments of close to $600 million as at June 2025.

Speaking at a media briefing on Sept 17, OCBC's head of emerging business for global commercial banking Iris Ng said the financing typically goes into strategic areas such as starting a new outlet, scaling internationally and expanding product lines and capacity.

Currently, one in three of OCBC's SME customers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong is a woman entrepreneur.

Ms Jlynn Chen, founder of sustainable beauty brand The Powder Shampoo, was one of those who received financing under the programme.