Scaling digital and agent banking ecosystems across Africa

• Sep 25, 2025
• 1 min

Banks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) struggled to scale digital finance. They faced various hurdles, from unclear regulations and weak agent capacity to limited infrastructure that could not adequately reach underserved customers.

MSC partnered with leading institutions to design and scale agent banking. In Uganda, we supported Equity Bank, DFCU Bank, and the Uganda Bankers Association with market strategies, value propositions, and Uganda’s first shared agent training program. We guided Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU) on regulatory alignment and improved digital payments for refugees with Airtel and DanChurchAid. In the DRC, we assisted Rawbank through market diagnostics, agent network design, and capacity building as it launched Illico Cash.

MSC’s work enabled DFCU Bank to onboard 4,000 agents to process 20,000+ daily transactions for 500,000 customers. Equity Bank’s agent network grew to 4,000 agents and 5,800 merchants who served more than 1 million people. In the DRC, Illico Cash expanded access for unbanked communities. At a sector level, MSC strengthened regulatory alignment and built institutional capacity, which transformed agent banking into a driver of financial inclusion across Africa.

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.