The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces in which MAFISA was initially piloted in 2005 before it was rolled out nationally. The MAFISA programme in the Eastern Cape is administered by the Eastern Cape Rural Finance Corporation (commonly known as Uvimba), whose objective is to promote, support and facilitate rural development in the province through the mobilisation and provision of financial resources, and promoting and encouraging private sector investment in the Province. Uvimba was established in 1999 through the amalgamation of the Agricultural Bank of Transkei and the Ciskei Agricultural Bank as the two former homelands were incorporated into the Eastern Cape Province. Uvimba has branches in all six District Municipalities to ensure easier access of the credit facility to farming communities.