CEOs with a dedication to continuous improvement, a passion for people and an appreciation of the extraordinary challenges of our time, came together online last week to launch Oikocredit’s forum for CEOs in Africa. The launch of this programme comes at a time when it is becoming evident that the situation brought on by Covid-19 is not something that will be resolved in a matter of a few months. Ging […]
Earlier in the COVID-19 crisis, Daniel Rozas wrote a widely circulated blog post analyzing the liquidity situation of microfinance institutions (MFIs) using MIX Market data from 2016 and 2018. Thanks to the CGAP Global Pulse Survey of Microfinance Institutions, we are now able to refresh his analysis with current data — and the results are striking. While the data show that MFIs have largely averted a liquidity crisis, this depends on investor willingness to […]
The COVID-19 pandemic could be a game changer for digital financial services. Low-income households and small firms can benefit greatly from advances in mobile money, fintech services, and online banking. Financial inclusion as a result of digital financial services can also boost economic growth. While the pandemic is set to increase use of these services, it has also posed challenges for the growth of the industry’s smaller players and highlighted […]
As sustainable finance enters the mainstream, Bevis Watts tells AltFi how Triodos went from “clunky” to cutting-edge. In many ways Triodos is much like its challenger banking peers. It has a quirky name, a colourful debit card and the offices of its Bristol headquarters are decked with organic woollen seats and decorated with organic paints. But, beneath its trendy exterior, Triodos is no normal digital bank. UK CEO Bevis Watts in fact noticeably winces when I ask him whether he even considers his bank to be a “challenger”. “We do, but […]
Verdant Capital, a signatory of the Investor Guidelines, has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on “Coordinating among MIVs in response to COVID-19”. Verdant Capital has long collaborated with other market participants on such initiatives and recognizes the constructive outcomes for the viability of inclusive financial institution (IFIs). Specific measures among lender groups to ease the burden on such institutions – such as consolidated reporting and liquidity forecasting templates and […]
COVID-19 will be remembered as one of the few health crises in human history that had (such) an extremely widespread impact on the vast majority of the world population. While focusing on national recovery and mobilizing heavy budgetary efforts, it is also important not to lose sight of the global dimension. The International Monetary Fund and the Word Bank have come to the conclusion that COVID-19 is exacerbating global poverty. […]
“Lending partners that have access to real-time data are at a significant advantage to provide credit in this market,” explains Jacob Haar, the Managing Partner at Community Investment Management and the first guest of Accion Venture Lab’s new VentureKast season, VentureKast: Rebuild. Venture Lab spoke with Jacob about the challenges that many lenders are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and how fintechs are uniquely positioned to respond […]
Many in the global financial inclusion community are concerned about the impact that COVID-19 is having on microfinance institutions (MFIs) and their clients. In CGAP’s conversations with stakeholders over the last several months, we have repeatedly heard the following questions: How is portfolio quality being impacted by COVID-19? Are MFIs facing a liquidity crisis? Is the solvency of institutions at risk? What is the outlook on the sector among MFIs? […]
How can housing microfinance support the COVID-19 recovery? Photo by Vidhee Garg Coronavirus has been referred to as a “housing disease.” Indeed, data has shown strong links between overcrowding, poor housing conditions and higher mortality rates. Conditions in informal settlements are dire as the disease spreads quickly when households live in cramped spaces without access to water and sanitation. Access to safe and secure housing is more important than ever! Over […]
“There have been as many plagues as wars in history; yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.” – Albert Camus, The Plague Introduction Businesses function in environments that are agile and hard to predict in the best of times. During a pandemic, predicting the behavior of markets as well as the financial behavior of citizens is even more challenging. For financial services providers (FSPs), the uncertainty and volatility of […]