-
Zimbabwe’s Econet Launches Mobile Money Loan Service
Zimbabwean users of the mobile money platform, EcoCash, are now able to access urgent loans of up to $500 using their cellphones.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
World Bank to Appoint ‘Global Practices’ Directors This Week
World Bank President Jim Kim announced on Monday that the appointment of senior directors of the bank’s “global practices” will be finalized later this week ahead of the institution’s spring meetings.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Tags
- lending
-
OPINION: India’s Mor Report on Financial Inclusion Doesn’t Focus Enough on Expanding Access to Credit
The Committee on Comprehensive Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low-Income Households (the Nachiket Mor Committee on financial inclusion) has delivered a detailed report in a very short time.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
Decade after debt relief, Africa’s rush to borrow stirs concern
NEARLY a decade after Nelson Mandela and anti-poverty activists Bono and Bob Geldof persuaded the rich world to forgive Africa’s crushing debts, many countries’ debt levels are creeping up again, which could undermine the region’s growth boom.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Tags
- governance, lending
-
Can this tiny startup be the definitive lender for the world’s emerging middle class?
A big challenge for people in an emerging middle class who are struggling to find avenues to credit is that they rarely have formal credit histories. They do, however, have social networks -- rich communities of family members and friends who can vouch for their character and credibility. And increasingly, as smartphones open up the Internet's opportunities to growing numbers of people, they have online social networks that mirror their communities.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- credit scoring, lending
-
The World Bank Gets An Overhaul — And Not Everyone’s Happy
The World Bank, the largest international development institution, is undergoing a sweeping reorganization, the first of its kind for the bank in nearly a generation. The bank, based in Washington, has laid out a new set of goals, but they're accompanied by deep budget cuts and the elimination of a whole layer of senior management jobs.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
-
College Credit: How U.S. university students are helping the underbanked build credit in their campus communities
In the U.S., good credit is a basic requirement for entrepreneurs and average consumers alike, and a lack of good credit is a major problem – especially for those with lower incomes. But while service providers are often reluctant to lend to the underbanked, college students across the country are filling the gap with campus microfinance institutions.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Home Financiers Strike Deal for Bottom of the Pyramid in Kenya
“Over the years, the country has accumulated a housing deficit of over three million, which has led to demand for housing exceeding supply and proliferation of slums. Now we are telling people to stop renting houses and move to their own homes.”
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa