OCBC to provide social loans to 10,000 women entrepreneurs by 2030

It has supported over 2,000 women-owned SMEs as of June 2025.

OCBC plans to provide social loans to 10,000 women entrepreneurs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia by 2030 through its programmes dedicated to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

As of June 2025, the Singapore-headquartered bank said that it has supported 2,000 women-owned SMEs across Southeast Asia, with total social loan commitments close to $600m.

Programmes named include the OCBC Women Unlimited Programme, launched in Singapore in April 2024 and in Malaysia in August 2025. In Indonesia, the programme is known as the Women Warriors Programme, and was rolled out in 2020.

Under the programme in Singapore, women-owned SMEs can secure financing of up to S$100,000 within their first two years of incorporation, with processing fees waived for these loans.

One in three of OCBC’s SME customers in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are reportedly owned by women entrepreneurs, the bank said in a press release on 17 September 2025.

OCBC data found that women-owned SMEs in Singapore typically experience about 30% lower sales turnover growth in their first three years of operation compared to male-owned SMEs. However, those that secured financing to support their growth were able to bridge this gap, the bank said.