Amarante recently had an opportunity to work on an exciting project in Zambia for the World Food Program (WFP) and UNCDF. Using human centred design (HCD) approach and in collaboration with Yux, we travelled to the southern provinces of Zambia and talked to farmers and buyers, users of Maano, a virtual farmers market.
Financial inclusion refers to the process of extending access to financial services to the previously unbanked or underbanked population found mostly in remote areas, in developing countries or among various social groups such as women or migrants. The lack of appropriate access and adapted products and services catering to the 1.7 billion unbanked population (Global Findex, 2017) is due to gaps on both the demand and the supply side.
There are many reasons why MFIs might be hesitant to undertake digital transformation. Firstly, heavy up-front investments are required for such initiatives, and small MFIs might lack the necessary resources. Even large MFIs should always conduct careful financial analysis and build a long term digital strategy before launching a digital initiative. Additionally, strong support from the management team is needed to undertake a digital transformation,
Today, more than two thirds of the world population are connected to mobile services. This simple fact makes digital financial technology a key component of revolutionizing financial inclusion efforts. Digital transformation initiatives are being put in place at a growing pace in both emerging and developed markets to streamline banking and microfinance processes and better cater to the needs of the un(der)banked, while increasing operational efficiency.
Our journey started 10 years ago, when digital channels for financial transactions, customer on-boarding, identity and engagement were just about being tested in different pockets of the world.
Since then, the digital revolution has taken various markets by storm. Some regions have much more success than others, but there’s no denying the level of creativity in launching new technology-based products and services and building new business models.