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Reducing the Costs of Migration: How Better Data Can Lead to Better Policy – and Better Prices – in Migrant Remittances
International migration has become a pressing global issue, and one that's likely to grow in the coming years. One way to help economies absorb migrants with minimal disruption is to improve their access to affordable, formal cross-border remittances. But according to Damola Owolade at FinMark Trust, this goal may be easier said than done, as accurate data on remittance pricing can be surprisingly hard to acquire.
- Categories
- Finance
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Frontier Innovators: A New Roadmap for Social Impact
In recent years, there have been growing calls for businesses to focus more on their social impact. Until recently, Silicon Valley had been held up as the paragon of high-impact business models, but its star has dimmed. Social enterprise has long offered an exciting alternative, but the movement isn’t scaling. Now, a new model is emerging, driven by innovators from lesser-known places, explains Alex Lazarow, venture capitalist and author of the new book: "Out-Innovate: How Global Entrepreneurs – from Delhi to Detroit – Are Rewriting the Rules of Silicon Valley."
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Distribute Cash, not COVID-19: Five Ways Policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa Can Provide Cash Transfers Safely
As COVID-19 spreads around the world, 35 countries have introduced new cash transfer programs in response to the pandemic. Cash is one of the most effective ways to support people during a crisis, say Martin Gould and Nate Vernon at IDInsight. But administering cash transfers in low-income countries can raise some big questions for policymakers. They discuss five ways governments in sub-Saharan Africa can manage these programs safely and effectively.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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From the Valley of Death to a $14 Million Series A: Sokowatch, Quona and the Role of Philanthropic Capital
The e-commerce company Sokowatch recently raised a $14 million Series A round, enabling it to expand its digital financial services to more merchants in Africa. But just two years ago, the company was in danger of going under. Malika Anand and Maelis Carraro at BFA’s Catalyst Fund discuss how the fund's philanthropically-funded acceleration approach has helped Sokowatch – and other promising fintech startups – survive the “valley of death” and position themselves for commercial investment.
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From the Fringe to the Center: Assessing the State of the Off-Grid Appliance Market in 2020
Energy access is about much more than connecting households to the grid, or getting them a rooftop solar panel. People also need access to life-changing appliances. But as Jenny Corry Smith at CLASP and Michael Tsan at Dalberg Advisors explain, these appliances still aren't reaching many households in rural sub-Saharan Africa. They share key insights from the new State of the Off-grid Appliance Market Report on how the sector can address this growing priority.
- Categories
- Energy
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Coronavirus Resources for the Social Impact Sector [UPDATED 12/6]
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing businesses everywhere to make difficult decisions – and the stakes are particularly high for companies in low- and middle-income countries. To help deliver actionable information to these enterprises and other social impact organizations, NextBillion has launched this regularly updated resource page, with COVID-19-related news, analysis, events, funding opportunities and more.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- COVID-19, impact investing
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Financial Health and the Coronavirus: Another Failure to Prepare
Even before the coronavirus crisis, global financial health was surprisingly precarious, with many people unprepared to weather a significant financial shock. As Elisabeth Rhyne points out, this issue is becoming painfully clear now that the pandemic is causing mass disruptions in income and employment. She explores the lasting consequences this will have, and calls on policymakers to provide relief now – and to make financial health an urgent priority going forward.
- Categories
- Finance
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Mobile Money Providers Score a Major Win – But Are They at Risk of Losing it All?
According to the GSMA’s recently launched 2019 State of the Industry report, mobile money achieved some major milestones last year: There are now more than 1 billion accounts, and for the first time, the majority of transaction values are digital. But according to Arunjay Katakam, mobile money providers will soon face a new challenge that could upend their industry, as internet-based "over-the-top" payments providers are poised to transform the competitive landscape.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
