Blog

MFI Digitalization: How Can DFIs and IFIs Contribute?

From funding digital innovation to boosting digital literacy, here are some ways that development finance institutions and international financial institutions can accelerate the digitization of microfinance in Africa.

No Time to Waste: Financing Biodigesters to Save Time for Rural Women

Sistema.bio has been expanding rural women's access to biodigesters, saving women time and creating economic opportunities. The secret? A financing option and a gender-intentional sales approach.

Pakistan: Gender-Intentional Policy Can Make Agent Banking Work Better

Many women in Pakistan remain financially excluded, partly because social norms limit their access to banking agents. Policy makers and regulators can help change this with a gender-intentional approach to agent banking.

Pitfalls in MFI Digitization: Getting Bogged Down in Technology

Rushing into technology solutions, without having the institutional capability in place to commercialize them, is a common mistake microfinance institutions make when digitizing. Here's how to avoid this costly misstep.

COVID-19 and Microfinance: Managing Trouble with Restructuring

What have microfinance institutions and their investors accomplished so far in their restructuring deals? What have they learned? And how can they improve readiness for the next crisis?

Inclusive Finance Can Help the World Achieve COP26 Goals – Here’s How

Amid the talk of national climate plans, net zero timelines, and the Paris rulebook, we should not forget about the need for practical tools — including financial services — that enable low-income populations to participate in the climate transition.

MTN Mobile Money Opened APIs – Was It Worth It?

MTN launched open APIs for its mobile money service in 2018. Today, its APIs are being used by over 900 partners to offer everything from pay-as-you-go solar to e-commerce apps — generating revenue and new use cases for financial services.

COVID-19 and Microfinance: What’s Next for Equity Investors?

Access to funding has been a top priority for microfinance providers during COVID-19 . Debt investors have played a key role in supporting providers through the crisis. Now, as providers focus on recovery and growth, equity capital is needed too.

The Evolving Nature and Scale of Consumer Risks in Digital Finance

New consumer risks in digital finance are emerging, especially around data misuse and fraud. Meanwhile, familiar risks like data breaches are speeding up, not slowing down. New approaches to consumer protection are needed.

The Menace of COVID-19 for Microfinance

FINCA Impact Finance President and CEO Andrée Simon explains what’s needed for the most vulnerable microfinance institutions and their customers to overcome the pandemic.

Why Do CICO Agent Networks Matter and How Do We Promote Them?

More than a decade since the rise of digital finance, cash remains popular and the ability for people to move cash in and out of digital systems is still vital to financial inclusion. How can agent networks be expanded to fill this need?

Is It Possible to Estimate Financial Stress Before It Harms Borrowers?

A tool piloted by CGAP and 4G Capital reliably measures changes in borrower behavior to detect financial stress. If stress indicators are found to predict future repayment, the tool could also serve as an early warning system for issues like default.

Bangladesh’s COVID-19 Response Is Taking Digital Finance to New Levels

Bangladesh’s policies in response to COVID-19 have enabled more low-income people to benefit from digital financial services.

Pitfalls in MFI Digitization: Not Listening to the Customer

Customer centricity is key to ensuring a microfinance institution's digital solutions actually meet customer needs -- and there's ample evidence it's good for business. Yet many microfinance institutions overlook this critical aspect of digitization.

COVID-19 and Microfinance: What the Data Says About Risk in the Sector

What impact has COVID-19 had on microfinance so far? What are likely future scenarios? Learn more in this blog post, which summarizes key findings from CGAP and MFR's research that began in June 2020.

Pitfalls in MFI Digitization: Getting the Business Case Right

Kicking off a new series on how microfinance institutions can avoid common mistakes when digitizing, this post highlights the need to start with a clear business case and presents six proven ways digitization has benefited microfinance institutions.

Analyzing Social Media to Spot Digital Consumer Credit Risks in India

Last year, news reports emerged of aggressive debt collection amid India's digital credit boom. New research shows that early warning signs on social media preceded the reports, highlighting the value of social media for consumer protection.

Are Funders up to the Challenge of Building Rural Agent Networks?

Agent networks are crucial for advancing financial inclusion and other development goals. Here are six ways funders can encourage the expansion of agent networks in rural areas home to many of the world's low-income populations.

Forging Her Own Path: Women and Informal Online Commerce

A growing number of financially excluded women are running businesses over social media platforms to improve their lives. What What does this mean for women's financial inclusion?

5 Ways Gender Lens Investors Can Deepen Impact on Financial Inclusion

Gender lens investing is becoming a more popular way to invest in financial inclusion. Here are five ways funders can set themselves up for success and use this approach for greater impact.