It is clear that digital transformation is a journey, not a destination – so incremental progress is to be expected. Equity Bank, one of the leading microfinance providers in Kenya, developed a well-articulated approach and took over a decade to digitalize its operations. It started with the equivalent of a digital readiness assessment, on which it based its digital transformation strategy in 2010. MSC worked alongside Equity Bank, providing consulting services, for much of its digital transformation journey.

The COVID-19 crisis has proven devastating for MSMEs in Bangladesh, which have seen their revenues reduce to almost half. Our report analyzes the pandemic’s economic consequences on MSMEs and highlights their coping strategies. It also provides policy recommendations to help them recover.

This report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on business correspondent (BC) agents in India and the issues they faced while delivering financial services in the wake of the pandemic. It also offers policy recommendations to help BCs offer uninterrupted services.

MSMEs in India have been adversely affected by the lockdown announced as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. This report outlines the impact of the pandemic on MSMEs and offers policy recommendations to support their recovery.

Several self-help-group (SHG) programs across the country have contributed significantly to empower women in the social, political, and economic spheres. But, young female SHG members demand more from the SHG model. Read our blog for a more nuanced and detailed understanding of the key challenges of young female members, which, if resolved, can further add to the success of the SHG model.

This blog looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on micro and small enterprises (MSEs) across low- and middle-income countries, which are particularly vulnerable to shocks. Our research insights will help policymakers and financial institutions support the recovery and rebuilding of the MSME sector in the wake of the disease.

Our ongoing research uncovered a set of unique challenges that cash-in/cash-out (CICO) agents currently face in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we look at the experience and behaviors of CICO agents across eight countries and explore ways to support them through favorable policies, even as the disease rages on around the world.

This note is second in the series and examines how small finance banks can build a first-class retail institution that focusses on low-income clients.