Julie Zollmann

Julie Zollmann is a Nairobi-based researcher who works both independently and with BFA to understand the demand side of retail financial service markets. As a senior associate at BFA, she worked on research to better understand consumer responses to electronic government transfer payments, consumer needs and preferences in savings devices, and financial capability in the context of branchless banking. 

By Julie Zollmann

Research

Escaping Darkness: Understanding Consumer Value in PAYGo Solar

This paper uses research and interviews with customers to understand the value they derive from PAYGo solar, why they decided to purchase it, how they were able to afford and pay for it, and whether they considered the product a “good deal” in the end.
Blog

How Can Pay-as-You-Go Solar Work for Poor People?

Averaging $0.40 a day, pay-as-you-go solar energy is affordable for many people — but not everyone. We looked at the costs and benefits of several tactics providers have used to make solar affordable for low-income households.
Blog

Keeping the Lights On: Repayment Challenges in PAYGo Solar

Research in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania reveals some of the top reasons pay-as-you-go solar borrowers stop repaying their loans.
Blog

Flexible Finance: What Can We Learn from PAYGo Lenders?

Pay-as-you-go solar lenders have developed a uniquely flexible financial product that benefits low-income customers with erratic incomes.
Blog

Stuff Matters: Rethinking Value in Asset Finance

What's the value of lighting a home? For many low-income pay-as-you-go solar customers, it is not necessarily about saving money or generating income.