This paper is derived from a research project * submitted to a 2021-24 applied research program dealing with Swiss scientific cooperation for sustainable development in Sub-Sahara Africa and the MENA region. In addition to several Swiss public international initiatives already in place, it explores how Swiss private finance could contribute to the creation of a Swiss-African green private equity fund for SMEs. A first section reviews the conceptual definitions of green finance, private equity, and combines the two in exploring the linkages between sustainable finance and global private equity. A second section explores possible paths of private equity finance for African SMEs. It reviews the functions of financial markets in Africa, the position and difficulties of SMEs in African national eco-systems, the emerging role of private equity in the African context, and some international public and public-private initiatives supporting sustainable finance in the continent. A third section suggests possible modes of creating a Swiss-African private green equity financial scheme for local SMEs. It questions various supply and demand problems of providing finance to African SMEs in general, and sustainable finance in particular. Then, it reviews both in Africa and Switzerland a range of private equity funds, which already provide or could provide green equity funding, and could therefore develop partnerships. Finally, possible options are suggested to initiate a potential Swiss-African green private equity fund for SMEs.