Launched in 2006, IFC's South Africa SME Banking Program worked with a variety of financial sector partners to create an environment where entrepreneurs and smaller businesses in South Africa can today more easily and quickly access finance and training. The program, funded by Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), worked towards providing comprehensive support for thousands of smaller businesses, placing a special focus on increasing lending to businesses run by women and previously disadvantaged South Africans. Over its three-year cycle, the South Africa SME Program helped financial partners to increase lending to smaller businesses, including grocery shops, bakeries, and construction firms. Smaller businesses like these often struggle to access loans and training, even in South Africa's highly-developed economy.