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Low Energy Consumption = Unprofitable Mini-Grids. Is Appliance Financing the Answer?
Over 600 million Africans live without electricity, and mini-grids are a cheap solution to bring power to at least 100 million of them. But the mini-grid business model is not yet sustainable. This is due in part to low levels of energy consumption by rural customers, who often can't afford the high upfront costs of appliances that would increase their energy usage. Analysts at CrossBoundary explore new research on whether offering financing for household appliances can help overcome this barrier.
- Categories
- Energy
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What’s the Point of Investing in Financial Inclusion? A New Review Aims to Help Investors Maximize Their Impact
Is social investment in financial systems and services justified? It's a natural question when considering the financial inclusion sector’s development, say Timothy Ogden at the Financial Access Initiative and Machal Karim at CDC Group. And it’s not just critical microcredit studies that have raised the question: The history of social investment in financial systems doesn’t yield many obvious success stories. They discuss a new review of the theory and empirical evidence – both positive and negative – for investing in financial systems as a development strategy.
- Categories
- Finance
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Staying Ahead of the Technical Assistance Curve: Six Lessons from Fintech Startups in India
India is at the forefront of inclusive fintech innovation. But it’s often difficult for Indian fintech startups to build and grow their businesses, while distributing the benefits of their work among their low-and middle-income (LMI) customers. MicroSave Consulting (MSC) is participating in a Financial Inclusion Lab, providing technical assistance to fintech startups serving India’s LMI segment. Authors at MSC share six key insights from their work that could be helpful both to startups, and to the investors, consultants and other organizations that support them.
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- Entrepreneurship, Finance, Technology
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The “Financial Inclusion Compass 2019”: e-MFP to Launch 2nd Annual Survey of Financial Inclusion Trends
A positive reception to the survey and the Compass has meant that, one year on, e-MFP is ready to launch the second annual survey.
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- Finance
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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New Report Shows Impact of Mutual Microinsurance on Vulnerable Communities Recovering From Natural Disasters
Despite the fact that the mutual insurance sector holds 27 per cent of the global insurance market and that the sector is the fastest growing part of the total market there has been very little independent research into the viability of mutual microinsurance as a business model and its value in improving the conditions of individuals, their families and communities.
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- Environment, Finance
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Global Population Without Access To Electricity Drops By 400 Million Since 2010
Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report shows that progress has been made to increase overall renewable energy deployment. Nevertheless, ramping up the progress globally requires stronger political action, long-term energy planning, greater levels of financing along with better policy and fiscal incentives.
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- Energy
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Five Things We’ve Learned Creating Data Standards for Inclusive Fintech
It’s no secret that capital is flowing into fintech. In 2018, global fintech investments exceeded USD $100 billion. Yet this investment is highly concentrated among a relatively small group of companies. Blaine Stephens and Chrissy Martin Meier of MIX share five insights from a new research initiative based on 40 interviews with fintechs, investors and ecosystem actors, designed to drive capital to inclusive fintechs in hopes of reaching 1.7 billion unbanked people around the world.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Chinese Investments Fuel Growth in African Science
Africa has emerged as a major partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and that is paying dividends for science.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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