by Renata Samadova -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Arab Savings & Financial Literacy Conference; October 9-11, 2023; Cairo, Egypt – NEW DATES

This event, which originally was set to begin on May 7, 2023, will focus on the importance of financial literacy and long-term savings in improving household financial stability. It offers in-person and remote access to sessions such as: (1) Reconciling the

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FMO, Proparco Lend $125m to NMB for MSME, Agriculture, Green Financing in Tanzania

The Dutch development bank Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO) recently led a senior loan package of USD 125 million in favor of Tanzania’s National Microfinance Bank (NMB). NMB is a commercial bank offering

by Renata Samadova -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Livelihoods India Summit; January 19-20, 2023; New Delhi, India

The 13th edition of this event will address how to increase the resilience of low-income people’s livelihoods. The sessions are to cover topics such as: (1) inclusive value chains; (2) the impact of climate change on livelihoods; (3) methods for

by Arin Atluri -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Assessing the State of Youth Financial Inclusion in Developing Contexts,” by Niclas Benni, Published by FAO

Youth in low- and middle-income countries often face significant challenges in accessing the financial services they need. Meanwhile, the lack of public data on youth financial inclusion makes it difficult for practitioners to assess and address the situation in a given context. Among the factors to consider when formulating a plan to increase youth financial inclusion are the

by Renata Samadova -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Future of Fintech; June 14-15, 2023; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; NEW DATES

Originally scheduled to take place starting March 1, this event will focus on “disruptive ideas from across the fintech ecosystem.” The two-day event offers online and in-person sessions including: (1) Evaluating Saudi Arabia’s FinTech [Financial Technology] Venture Activity – Key Drivers and Factors; (2) Offering Financial Flexibility to

by Saulius Ramanauskas -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Digital Finance Campaign Replication Guide,” Published by USAID

This paper describes a digital finance education campaign called “Hey Sister! Show Me the Mobile Money,” including efforts to make it easy to replicate from one geographical context to another. The program facilitates low-income women’s access to digital financial services (DFS) by addressing the challenges of

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CCAF-World Bank Study Finds Regulators in Africa Tops for Increasing Focus on Fintech, Cybersecurity Main Concern Worldwide

A recent survey of 128 financial regulators and supervisors worldwide found that just over half of respondents in low- and middle-income countries have been increasing their focus on financial technology (fintech) firms. The figure is about one out of three in

by Renata Samadova -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD Offering AgriAcademy Graduate-level Education Courses in Ukraine to Boost Agriculture Sector

The multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is rolling out a remote, free-of-charge learning platform called AgriAcademy with a target of educating 10,000 agri-food workers in Ukraine. The goal is

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: JuST Institute Opens Doors, Promoting Inclusive Finance for Biodiversity, Climate Adaptation

The Just Sustainability Transitions (JuST) Institute, an NGO based in France, recently launched with the mission of supporting financial services providers (FSPs), consultants and both public and private investors in expanding their work “for the benefit of people and the planet.” In particular, the JuST Institute seeks to facilitate investment flows and capacity building services that support farmers and small-business owners in climate adaptation and conserving biodiversity. The NGO’s initial focus is on

by Saulius Ramanauskas -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “The Financial Inclusion Compass 2022,” by Sam Mendelson, Published by e-MFP

This report outlines global trends and areas of future focus in the field of financial inclusion, based on a survey of 112 professionals from 46 countries, representing financial service providers (FSPs), infrastructure organisations and consultancies as well as researchers and investors.

In the quantitative section of the survey, participants were asked to rank what they believe to be the most important

by Renata Samadova -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: SuperReturn Africa; December 5-7, 2022; Cape Town, South Africa

The 13th edition of this event will focus on “market trends, challenges and innovations” in Africa. On December 5, the event will feature summits covering three topics: (1) fundraising; (2) infrastructure; and (3) ESG [environmental, social and governance issues] & impact. The remaining days will

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Increasing Financial Access for Women with Better Data, Mentoring, Staff Training, “Gender-smart” Audits

e-MFP logoSilke Mufflemann of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management described the common differences between women-owned micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and those owned by men during a session at this month’s European Microfinance Week. On average, women owners are more cautious regarding business decisions and want more information before accepting a loan. In lower-income countries, women often have had less access to education and are less confident in their financial and business management skills. They also tend to have more limited social and business networks from which to draw information and other resources. For all these reasons, Ms Mufflemann argues, it is key that financial services providers (FSPs) connect women with non-financial support services.

Bettina Wittlinger, also from the Frankfurt School, discussed how to determine whether a FSP is “gender-smart.” Among the factors is

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Fintechs vs MFIs – a Debate at European Microfinance Week

e-MFP logoAt Thursday’s debate on “high-tech” versus “high-touch” financial services at European Microfinance Week, Dorcas Thorpe of Nigeria’s LAPO Microfinance Bank argued that customers in rural areas are more likely to access financial services via high-touch channels such as branches and agents rather than mobile money because they have – on average – lower levels of digital literacy and trust in digital financial services. Gregoire Lecomte of

by the MicroCapital Team -

SPECIAL REPORT: Sounding Alarm Bells on Financial Health: Inclusion Is Not Sufficient

e-MFP logoOn Friday in Luxembourg, a panel of experts sounded alarm bells on trends in financial health. Amrik Heyer of FSD Kenya noted that financial health in Kenya, for example, has gone down significantly since 2016, the first year for which her data are available. This has occurred while usage of digital financial services (DFS) has gone up.

The panel was adamant that financial inclusion alone does not boost financial health, which encompasses the ability to meet current needs, absorb shocks and pursue financial goals. In fact, Jaspreet Singh of the UN Capital Development Fund argued that