The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu recently launched a digital payment platform called Vanklia that allows automated clearing house (ACH) transfers as well as real-time gross settlements. The ACH system is designed for lower-value batch payments such as salaries and retail payments, while the
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MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BlueOrchard Sustainable Assets Fund (BOSAF) Raises $15m for Infrastructure Lending
The Swiss investment manager BlueOrchard recently raised an additional USD 14.6 million from undisclosed investors for its BlueOrchard Sustainable Assets Fund (BOSAF), an infrastructure debt fund active in “growth markets.” Among BOSAF’s outstanding placements are:
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Lipa Later, Mastercard Partner on Buy Now / Pay Later Services in Africa
Lipa Later, a Kenyan financial technology (fintech) firm active in four countries, has partnered with US-based Mastercard to expand its merchant network and technological infrastructure in support of the “buy now-pay later” options that it offers online and in-store consumers. According to
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: QR Codes to Facilitate Retail Payments Across Cambodia-Laos Border
The National Bank of Cambodia and Bank of the Lao PDR, the central banks of the two countries, recently launched a payment system based on QR codes. The goal of the program is to “promote the usage of national currency,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Universal Insurance Launches Mobile App, Referral Platform in Nigeria
Nigeria’s Universal Insurance recently launched a mobile app to facilitate its customer service interactions. The app allows users to buy and manage policies as well as to file and receive support on claims. The firm also debuted the Universal Insurance Network, through which customers can
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Annapurna Finance Borrowing $25m from responsAbility to Boost Renewable Energy, Energy-efficiency in India
The Switzerland-based firm responsAbility Investments recently loaned USD 25 million to Annapurna Finance, a microfinance institution (MFI) seeking to reduce poverty and spread economic opportunity in India. The MFI plans to on-lend the funds to families as well as smaller businesses looking to acquire solar panels and other equipment that reduces the need for fossil fuels. As Annapurna has
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FINCA Ventures Places Equity in Agtech CassVita, Seeking to Boost Incomes from Farming Cassava in Cameroon
FINCA Ventures, an affiliate of the US-based NGO FINCA International, recently invested an undisclosed sum to take a minority stake in CassVita, an agricultural technology (agtech) firm aiding Cameroonian farmers in cultivating cassava as a climate-resilient alternative to other crops. CassVita finances farmers’ inputs, purchases their crops and processes the cassava into flour. This approach curbs spoilage,
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDB Loans $50m to BRDE to Support MSMEs in Southern Brazil in Retaining Employees During Pandemic
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is owned by 48 member nations, recently issued a loan of USD 50 million, with a term of 15 years and a 5.5-year grace period, to Banco Regional de Desenvolvimento do Extremo Sul (BRDE), which is owned by three states in southern Brazil. BRDE will on-lend the funds through its Recupera Sul credit line product in an effort to support micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary goal is to help these firms to preserve employment in order to hasten economic recovery after the pandemic, decreasing the burden on social programs.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Developpement International Desjardins (DID): “A Roadmap for Making Inclusive Finance a Driving Force for Rural Development and Food Security”
This is a summary of a paper published by Developpement international Desjardins (DID), February 2018, 24 pages, available at: https://www.did.qc.ca/media/documents/en/positionnements/agricultural-finance-roadmap.pdf.
This report outlines a set of indicators that correlate with how easily the actors in a country’s agricultural sector – ranging from smallholder farmers to commercial producers – can access affordable and reliable services from financial institutions:
1. Producers’ Stage of Development: Financial service providers have more incentive to engage with agricultural producers if the producers have greater operational capacity and productivity, including the ability to demonstrate their ability to yield return on investment. Other qualities that make producers
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Center for Financial Inclusion, Institute of International Finance: “Accelerating Financial Inclusion with New Data;” by Ethan Loufield, Dennis Ferenzy, Tess Johnson
This is a summary of a paper published by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF), May 2018, 30 pages, available at: http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/Accelerating_Financial_Inclusion_With_Data_2018.05_Final.pdf.
This report presents the following cases of financial service providers using emerging data analysis techniques to reach underserved markets:
1.WeBank, an online Chinese bank, uses social media data to evaluate loan applicants.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Asian Development Bank (ADB): “Embracing the E-commerce Revolution in Asia and the Pacific”
This is a summary of a paper published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), June 2018, 101 pages, available at:
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/430401/embracing-e-commerce-revolution.pdf.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: AgriProFocus, ICCO Cooperation, Rabobank Foundation: “Critical Capital for African Agri-Food SMEs;” by Bert van Manen, Boubacar Diallo, Miraj Desaj, Paul Njenga
Following is a summary of a paper by Bert van Manen, Boubacar Diallo, Miraj Desaj and Paul Njenga; published by the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO Cooperation); May 2018; 60 pages; available at: https://www.icco-cooperation.org/Portals/2/Files/Publications/Critical%20Capital%20Web.pdf
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: IFC, Sanabel: Transforming Microfinance Institutions in the Arab World; by Alex Silva, Mohammed Khaled, Karen Beshay
This is a summary of a paper by Alex Silva, Mohammed Khaled and Karen Beshay; published by the International Finance Corporation (IFC); May 2018; 40 pages; available at:
https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/1ffc3ec0-63ac-4426-863c-c7d1b8b0df46/ESOP-Transforming+22-5-2018.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
In March 2017, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a unit of the World Bank Group, and Sanabel, a network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Arab region, conducted a survey of 20 MFIs
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN): “8th Annual Impact Investment Survey,” Sponsored by US Agency for International Development (AID), UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Following is a summary of a paper published by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), May 2018, 53 pages, available at:
https://thegiin.org/assets/2018_GIIN_Annual_Impact_Investor_Survey_webfile.pdf
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) recently collected “229 respondents’ perspectives on the growth and development of the impact investing industry” as part of its Annual Impact Investment Survey.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI): “Financial Inclusion Hype vs Reality: Deconstructing the 2017 Findex Results”; by Elisabeth Rhyne, Sonja E Kelly
Following is a summary of a paper by Elisabeth Rhyne, Sonja E Kelly, published by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI), May 2018, 31 pages, available at: http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/documents/FI_Hype_vs_Reality_Deconstructing_2017_Findex_Results.pdf.
The authors of this paper reviewed data from the World Bank’s annual Global Findex survey, which includes data from
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Triple Jump: “How Microfinance is Navigating the Fintech Revolution in Africa”; by Imelde Adjaffon, Gera Voorrips
Following is a summary of a paper by Imelde Adjaffon, Gera Voorrips, published by Triple Jump, April 2018, 5 pages, available at:
https://triplejump.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/How-Microfinance-is-Navigating-the-Fintech-Revolution-in-Africa-1.pdf
In July 2017, Triple Jump surveyed 17 microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Africa with the goal of learning more about “how MFIs view Fintech [financial technology], its potential uses, the drivers, challenges
MICROFINANCE EVENT: 2018 Customer Centricity Learning Event; February 19 – 22, 2018; Mamallapuram, India
Event Name: 2018 Customer Centricity Learning Event
Event Date: February 19 – 22, 2018
Application deadline: January 19, 2018
Event Location: Mamallapuram, India
Summary of Event: This event is intended to improve the ways financial services providers work with low-income customers. The conference includes training exercises and networking events designed to improve social
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: LOLC Micro Credit, VisionFund, Kredit Microfinance Institution, Agence Francaise de Developpement Finance Home Solar Panel Purchases in Cambodia
LOLC Micro Credit, the microfinance arm of Sri Lanka’s Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC); VisionFund International, a microfinance investor owned by US-based Christian nonprofit World Vision; and Kredit Microfinance Institution, a microfinance institution (MFI) in Cambodia, have agreed to partner on a program run by Agence Francaise de Developpement, the international development arm of the French government, to provide loans for purchases of home solar panels in Cambodia.