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Making Mini-Grids Work for Everyone: A Tariff Harmonization Pilot in Sierra Leone Reveals the Benefits and Challenges of Lowering Prices
Solar mini-grids offer a promising solution to energy poverty in Africa. But according to Tombo Banda and Lisa Kahuthu at CrossBoundary and Miriam Atuya, this approach has yet to gain sufficient traction, due in part to the challenge of balancing operational sustainability with affordability. If customer tariffs are set too low, operators lack revenue — but if prices are set too high, mini-grid electricity isn’t accessible enough to drive widespread adoption. They share the results of a pilot program in Sierra Leone that tested the impact of lower prices on mini-grid operators and their customers, highlighting the implications for future efforts to implement tariff reduction at scale.
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Subsidy and Synergy: How Philanthropy Can Complement Impact Investing More Effectively
The original goal of impact investing was to build out the funding spectrum between philanthropy and commercial investment. But according to Asad Mahmood at SIMA and Nanno Kleiterp, the arrival of private equity firms — promising scale and market-rate financial returns — has pulled all the sector's energy toward the commercial end of the spectrum. They explore the key role philanthropic subsidy has played in the development of emerging markets business, clarify some misconceptions about its role in impact investing, and propose some ways philanthropists and impact investors can better align their efforts.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Navigating the Financing Paradox for WSMEs: Workable Solutions for Increasing Financial Inclusion Among Women-Owned or -Led Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
In Africa, an estimated $42 billion financing gap exists for small and medium-sized enterprises owned or led by women (WSMEs). According to Nathalie Gogue-Ebo, Crystal Mugimba, Millie Maina and Shiemaa Ahmed at Open Capital, this gap has persisted despite the fact that women own the majority of the continent’s SMEs, and that globally, they default on their loans at a rate 53% lower than men. They explore the main roadblocks facing African WSMEs, and share some solutions that can ensure that these women entrepreneurs have access to the capital they need to thrive.
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One Village at a Time: A Women-Led Model for Bringing Digital Services and Financial Inclusion to Rural Bangladesh
Women customers constitute a huge market in rural Bangladesh, where many men have migrated to cities or foreign lands in search of work. Garima Singh at FinValue Advisors explores how the Bangladeshi financial services company Zaytoon Business Solutions is expanding access to digital financial and government services in rural communities — while boosting women's empowerment and employment — by extending its agent network to include "village digital booths" staffed by local women.
- Categories
- Finance
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Solving the Funding Challenges of Indian MSMEs: The Advantages of Founder-Friendly Non-Dilutive Financing
About 30% of India’s GDP is generated by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which provide jobs for more than 110 million people and account for around 50% of the country’s exports. But as Bhavik Vasa at GetVantage points out, a drop in private equity and venture capital investments has led many of these entrepreneurs to shift towards more founder-friendly types of non-dilutive capital. He discusses the funding challenges facing Indian MSMEs, and why alternative forms of non-dilutive financing are uniquely suited to these businesses' needs.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Rethinking Credit Scoring: A Pay-As-You-Go Pioneer Explores Innovative Solutions in Africa
The ability to make life-changing purchases — from buying a home to setting up a business — usually relies upon acquiring credit. But as Mansoor Hamayun at Bboxx explains, in many emerging markets, it’s incredibly difficult for the average citizen to obtain a credit score. He explores the obstacles to credit scoring in Africa, and discusses how Pay-As-You-Go financing of solar products — combined with innovative approaches to consumer subsidies — can be leveraged to boost access to credit scores and essential financial services in underserved communities.
- Categories
- Finance
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African Tech Titans vs. Red Tape: How Striking the Right Regulatory Balance Can Advance the Continent’s Economic Future
Africa has emerged as a pivotal player in the global tech marketplace, with a digital economy that’s projected to grow to $712 billion by 2050. Yet according to Seyi Ebenezer at Payaza Africa Ltd., this potential is threatened by regulatory frameworks that struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology. He explores how overly stringent regulation is impeding business and economic growth in the region, and how regulators can foster innovation while protecting consumers and other stakeholders.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Promoting Financial Inclusion in the Caribbean: A Broken ATM in the Bahamas Reveals the Need for Digital Banking Solutions Across the Region
Imagine if your only access to your salary and savings depended on a single ATM. Now imagine that someone takes a hammer and smashes it up. As Nicholas Rees at Kanoo Pays explains, that was the situation facing a community in The Bahamas after vandals damaged the district’s sole ATM. He discusses the challenges experienced by remote, cash-dependent populations across the Caribbean, and explores how Kanoo Pays' digital wallet leverages offline payment capabilities and Central Bank Digital Currencies to address these customers' unique needs.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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