-
Honoring November’s ‘NextBees’ : Buzz-worthy tales of bucking culture, reaching markets
Welcome to the second edition of the “NextBees,” our monthly awards recognizing the posts with the most – the most reads, the most comments and/or the most shares on social media – that is. The two most-read posts that also elicited the most reactions and shares on NextBillion in November, essentially, were all about bucking corporate culture.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Kenya SMEs Get U.S.$60 Million
Nairobi — The World Bank has extended a $60 million loan towards boosting Kenya's fledgling Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) sector.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
NexThought Monday – A Close Look at Safaricom’s M-Shwari : Mobile, yes, but how ‘cool’ is it for customers?
Finally it’s here, a banking product on Safaricom’s terms. Following last week’s announcement, foreign M-PESA watchers get to add another word to their stock of essential Swahili words: shwari, meaning ‘calm’ or ‘cool.’The financial inclusion community has keenly been looking for more instances of mobile money platforms connecting with bank offerings. Before you rejoice at this announcement, consider what it means for other banks in Kenya.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Adult population access to MFBs swells by 4.6m
The number of adult population that have a microfinance bank account rose to 4.6 million or 5.2 percent in 2012 as against 3.2 million or 3.8 percent in 2010, representing 1.2 million increase, according to Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA)’s access to financial services in Nigeria 2012 survey report.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
(With Video) Financial Inclusion that Serves Savers
To explore possible ways to increase low-income individuals’ ability to save with banks, CGAP brought in IDEO.org to work with one of Mexico’s largest banks, Bancomer.Working with a large bank such as Bancomer provides the ability to scale. However, one main challenge is shifting how the bank collectively thinks – and getting the bank to meet people where they are.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Observing the Arab Spring, African Bankers Devise Economic Strategies
The African Development Bank (AfDB) was established in 1964 to guide the continent onto a path of sustainable pan-African economic growth and reduce poverty. Heading its efforts is Mthuli Ncube, chief economist and vice president at the multilateral bank, which is temporarily headquartered in Tunisia.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
-
Mastercard Inc : The SEEP Network Partners with MasterCard to Promote Innovative Uses of Technology
Washington, DC, November 7, 2012 - The SEEP Network's two-day 2012 Annual Conference titled, "Building Inclusive Markets: Impact through Financial and Enterprise Solutions" kicks off on Wednesday, November 7 in Arlington, VA.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Technology
-
Innovative Banking Strategies for the BoP in India: Exploring ‘No Frills Accounts’ and the business correspondent model
In India, commercial banks have begun to comply with financial inclusion mandates, leading to innovative—though far from perfect—strategies to bank the poor. Yet even if promoting social inclusion may not be part of a bank’s business philosophy, the potential market for banking the global informal economy—estimated to be worth around $10 trillion annually—should speak for itself.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.