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Bangladesh’s Political Turmoil Taking Its Toll on Small, Medium Businesses
The ongoing political turmoil continues to take its toll on the small and medium businesses who have borrowed money from micro finance institutions (MFIs) as the big MFIs have tightened their vigilance fearing the future impact on loan recovery.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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Upwardly Mobile: The Power of a United Approach to African Payment Innovation
The growing use of banking services in South Africa is driven by a national rollout of social security debit cards and strong economic growth across finance, real estate and business services sectors. According to the Banking Association of South Africa, just under a quarter of the adult population (23.5%) remains unbanked.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments
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Viewpoint: Smaller Banks Better Suited for India’s Financial Inclusion Drive; Modi Should Have Waited
There are too many takers for licences for small-sized banks. A total of 113 companies knocked the doors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with applications when the deadline expired at the close of business hours on 3 February. The list (see here) includes both the biggies and tiny names.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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For MFIs in India, Transition to Small Banks Could Be Arduous
The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to create small finance banks could be a game-changer for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the country.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Sub-Saharan Africa’s Mobile Money Market Could Grow to $1.5 Billion by 2019
Sub-Saharan Africa is adopting mobile financial services at a pace seen in few other places, presenting banks and mobile-network operators (MNOs) with a set of strategic choices that will go a long way toward determining their success in the region.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Bitcoin Blazes New Trail in Emerging Markets
While the tech world is busy speculating about bitcoin’s volatile value, cryptocurrency is making arguably its biggest impact in countries where the current price of 1 bitcoin exceeds the average salary earned in a week.
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- Uncategorized
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Unable to Get Credit, African Entrepreneurs Turn to Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is a way to raise money from a large number of people via the Internet to fund a project. The concept is well established in the West, but is still new in Africa. A World Bank project in Kenya has launched a mentorship program to help business owners take advantage of crowdfunding, which some say could help replace the kind of aid they currently receive from NGOs.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Step One in Growing Impact Investing: Prove Social Enterprise Works
Rigorous evidence of impact is not just about accountability in impact investing. It is an enabler of the field's growth in its own right.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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