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When the global financial crisis of 2008 struck, MFIs were largely unscathed, because their success was not tied to synthetic derivatives in London or Hong Kong, but rather hard-working, entrepreneurial individuals striving daily to build good businesses and provide for their families.
Viewpoint: What the gig economy can learn from the mistakes of microfinanceNews
“PayPal’s collaboration with M-PESA is part of the company’s long-term strategy to enable eCommerce and democratise financial services on the African continent,” says Efi Dahan, General Manager for the Middle East, Africa and Russia, PayPal.
PayPal, Safaricom partnership enables cross-border mobile payments in KenyaNews
Lack of access to electricity continues to plague many African countries, including Uganda, where up to 80% of the population lives without power. Given the increasing demand, it will take more than the Ugandan government to power up the East African country.
Empowering Women-Owned Enterprises To Solve Local Energy ChallengesNews
The government has decided to set up a $75-million fund at the State Bank of Pakistan for borrowers interested in setting up small businesses, which is also expected to attract people to vote for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the upcoming general elections.
Pakistan Government to Set up $75 Million Fund for Small Borrowers, MicroentrepreneursBlog Post
Shuffling through papers while standing at a pho vendor’s street stall. Asking customers the same questions over and over again every loan cycle. CEP’s staff and clients constantly dealt with such frustrations until the Vietnam-based microfinance institution rolled out an app that digitized the loan and repayment process. Laura Cojocaru and Kelly Nguyen of BFA report on how the technology not only saves time, but helps loan officers connect on a more personal level with clients.
Can Tech Humanize Microfinance? An Unexpected Benefit of Going DigitalNews
Sri Lanka joined hands with Sampath Bank to unveil e-Pay Mobile Cash, a revolutionary service that leverages the wide spread network of post offices, sub-post offices and Sampath Bank ATMs around the island to enable real time money transfers in a secure and convenient manner.
Sri Lanka Post Ushers Money Orders into the Digital Age with Sampath BankBlog Post
Despite an explosion of high-quality research into K-12 learning outcomes in emerging markets, the data from those studies can be hard to interpret, leading educators to defer to their own experience and/or that of their peers instead. As a result, the best evidence on methods and strategies often goes unused by teachers. Sean Geraghty of the private school operator Bridge International Academies considers a recent partnership with the Liberian government and asks: How can educators truly incorporate the latest research into their lessons?
The Teacher-Researcher Divide: How Can Educators in Emerging Markets Make Better Use of Data?
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Branch International, a mobile “branchless bank” for emerging markets, announces a $70 million Series B investment to expand its financial offerings to additional countries. With over a million unique borrowers, Branch is already the top finance app in Africa. Branch offers credit today and plans to diversify into savings and payments in the future.
Branch International Raises $70M Series B to Bring World-Class Financial Services to Emerging Markets
