OCBC aims to provide social loans to 10,000 women entrepreneurs across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia by 2030 through dedicated SME programmes. The bank launched the OCBC Women Unlimited Programme in Malaysia in August 2025 after first doing so in Singapore in April last year, and in Hong Kong in April 2025. In Indonesia, the programme is known as the Women Warriors Programme and was rolled out in 2020. Currently, one in three of OCBC's SME customers in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong are owned by women entrepreneurs. As of June 2025, the bank has supported over 2,000 women-owned SMEs across the region with total social loan commitments of close to $600 million. These loans, aligned with the Social Loan Principles issued by the Loan Market Association, aim to enhance the socioeconomic advancement of women, and strengthen the growth and resilience of women-owned businesses. According to OCBC’s data, 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. Under the programme in Singapore, women-owned SMEs can secure financing of up to $100,000 within their first two years of incorporation, with processing fees for these loans waived. Loan commitments extended to women-owned SMEs in Singapore grew by more than 20% in the 12 months following the launch of the programme in April 2024, compared to the 12 months prior. Women-owned SMEs in the food and beverage, building and construction and transport and logistics sectors received the highest number of loans, in that order. Besides having access to financing support, close to 600 women entrepreneurs participated in the educational workshops and networking events organised under the umbrella of the OCBC Women Unlimited Programme and partners such as the Action Community for Entrepreneurship. Jlynn Chen, founder of The Powder Shampoo, and Yasmin Sim, co-founder of The Plattering Co., are two entrepreneurs who have benefited from the OCBC Women Unlimited Programme in Singapore. Since securing a social loan from OCBC, The Powder Shampoo is on track to double its customer base by the end of 2025 and achieve 150% revenue growth by the following year, driven by the successful expansion of its product line and market presence. Similarly, The Plattering Co. expects to increase its customer base by 1.5 times and triple its revenue by 2027, supported by the establishment of a second central kitchen that is halal certified. To support the cross-border growth of women-owned SMEs, OCBC has plans to facilitate regional events, learning exchanges, and businessmatching trips across the four markets. Based on the bank’s data from 2018 to 2023, the number of women-owned businesses under 10 years old that have expanded beyond Singapore has grown by 51%. Iris Ng, head of emerging business, global commercial banking at OCBC, said, “We continue to see growth potential in the women entrepreneur segment and remain committed to supporting them through our SME programmes dedicated to them. It’s been incredibly rewarding to partner with and journey alongside our women entrepreneurs. Many of such founders started with just an idea. Today, they’re running thriving businesses, expanding into new products and new markets, and creating jobs in their communities. That’s the kind of impact we strive for. Following the success in Singapore and Indonesia, we are confident that the programme will also resonate strongly across Hong Kong and Malaysia.” Redisseminated by The Asian Banker
