NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Zidisha is a peer-to-peer microfinancing platform that directly connects lenders and borrowers and cuts out the middle man, which is the microfinance institutions (MFIs) that charge exorbitant interest rates to low-income entrepreneurs.

Zidisha wanted to expand to Burkina Faso, so she applied and moved there from Belgium. She knew she wouldn’t earn a salary, but she wanted to commit fully to the idea of this new lending model that empowers local businesses in developing countries.