Blog

Inclusive FinTechs in Francophone Africa: Benin report

Posted on by MSC

Although in early stages, the upcoming National Financial Inclusion Strategy of Benin and work around the Start-up Act. It will help increase opportunities for FinTechs in Benin, especially if they spend time to understand the market and understand how they can add value to it by working with incumbents.

As a top-growing economy, efforts are needed in Benin to ensure inclusive growth. The ecosystem comprises 11 FinTechs and five enablers and funding partners.

The key success factors for FinTechs to stimulate financial inclusion in Benin are product innovation to drive efficiency, enhancing the customer experience, and facilitating client outreach by financial institutions. The government has been expanding access to the Internet.

If this is affordable for clients, it can create new opportunities.

Link to the French version: #

Inclusive FinTechs in Francophone Africa Côte d’Ivoire report

Posted on by MSC

The key success factors for FinTechs to stimulate financial inclusion in Côte d’Ivoire are conducive regulations and product innovation that meet customers’ needs. Financial inclusion can increase with FinTechs through partnerships with incumbents, through simple solutions, and by enacting effective regulation.

The challenges for FinTechs include adequate funding, access to information, strategic partnerships, the need to build skills, and the adoption of local FinTechs by incumbents (for example, banks).

Link to the French report: #

Inclusive FinTechs in Francophone Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo country report

Posted on by MSC

The DRC offers massive market potential for nascent technology start-ups. The political environment supports innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital services. The ecosystem comprises 12 FinTechs and more than 22 enablers and funding partners.

The objective of the National Digital Plan is to drive a vibrant market and improve the infrastructure to accelerate opportunities to drive financial inclusion. People in the country rely on cash to a great degree, which creates challenges for financial institutions to hold bulk cash to facilitate transactions, and in the process increases costs and slows economic activity. Financial inclusion can increase with FinTechs by looking beyond payments to second-generation services combined with creative bundling of services. 

Link to the French report: #

Inclusive FinTechs in Francophone Africa: Mali country report

Posted on by MSC

The key success factors required for FinTechs in Mali to stimulate financial inclusion are to build skillsets of entrepreneurs and strengthen BDS support for FinTechs. Financial inclusion can increase with FinTechs through partnerships with universities, by enhancing the capacity of incubators, and by enacting effective regulation.

Link to the French report: #

 

Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on the low and middle income segments in Indonesia

Posted on by MSC

This blog is the second of two blogs based on MSC’s study to understand the economic and health impact of COVID-19 on low and middle-income (LMI) segments in Indonesia. It provides recommendations for policymakers to improve the socio-economic and health outcomes for LMI segments as the pandemic evolves in the country. The first blog in the series highlighted the key findings of the study that inform these recommendations.

The impact of COVID-19 on LMI segment in Indonesia

Posted on by MSC

Millions of Indonesians from the low- and middle-income (LMI) segments find it hard to fend for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. With little savings and an uncertain future, vulnerable people have to take desperate measures to stay afloat. This blog highlights the insights generated from a study conducted by MSC to understand economic and health impact of COVID-19 on low-middle income (LMI) Indonesians. This blog is the first of two blogs on this subject.