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Lighting the Way: How the PAYGo Solar Industry is Expanding to Other Life-Changing Products
Millions of customers in Africa are using lighting generated by PAYGo solar – but lights are just one of many products the PAYGo business model can provide – something the companies working in the sector are beginning to realize. Chris Emmott at Fenix International discusses the vast array of products and services enabled by the new connections PAYGo solar companies are making to rural customers.
- Categories
- Energy
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Egypt Launches Microfinance Incentives to Contain Informal Economy
Microfinancing seeks to provide capital needs for small farmers and the self-employed, home-based projects, day-to-day sellers and street vendors.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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Fusion Microfinance Gets $5.5B USD From Warburg Pincus, Others
The fresh round of capital injection will be used to expand its distribution network across the country, integrate technology solutions across key business lines and strengthen the platform to address untapped growth opportunities within the sector.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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USAID, Awash Bank To Help Small Agribusinesses In Ethiopia
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Awash Bank announced a new partnership that provides $6.4 million to microfinance institutions and small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses in Ethiopia.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- microfinance
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Microfinance Lenders in Sierra Leone Accused of ‘Payday Loan’ Interest Rates
A Guardian investigation into a microfinance programme run by Brac found that the NGO’s staff were failing to fully explain the conditions of the loan to borrowers.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Three Key Sessions from Three Days of Discussion at European Microfinance Week
European Microfinance Week is always a whirlwind of activity and insights, and this year was no exception. As a media partner at the event, NextBillion covered some of the key sessions. Here we highlight three of them, one from each day of the event – starting with Friday's must-see plenary, which was streamed live and can now be viewed in a video embedded in this article.
- Categories
- Finance
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Press Release: VisionFund International Raises AUD20M Through Its First Bond in Australia to Help Fund Global Financial Inclusion Initiatives
Offered in Australia to eligible institutional and high net worth investors, the bond is known as a ‘Kangaroo bond’ as it is issued in Australia in Australian dollars by a non-Australian entity. The five-year bond is unsecured and unsubordinated and offers a fixed rate of five per cent per annum, paid semi-annually.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Badly Needed, Hard to Deliver: The Challenges of Selling Drought Insurance to African Farmers
Millions of poor farmers in Africa can't move beyond subsistence levels because of droughts and other weather disasters. Insuring farmers against these risks is key to helping build their resilience to climate shocks. But providing this insurance – while making a profit – is no easy matter. Jim Hight explores the challenges in discussing WorldCover, a drought insurance provider that's gaining traction in Africa.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance