Julie Zollmann

Julie Zollmann is a Nairobi-based researcher who works both independently and with BFA to understand the demand side of retail financial service markets. As a senior associate at BFA, she worked on research to better understand consumer responses to electronic government transfer payments, consumer needs and preferences in savings devices, and financial capability in the context of branchless banking. 

By Julie Zollmann

Blog

A Tale of Two Markets

For people in sub-Saharan Africa getting by on $2-$5/day, on the cusp of poverty but not yet secured in Africa’s middle class, are economic challenges more easily weathered in formal or informal markets?
Blog

Why M-Shwari Works

With the rapid uptake of M-Shwari, Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) is the envy of the digital financial services industry. Many factors led to M-Shwari's success, including that it solves a real problem faced by Kenyans: on demand liquidity.
Blog

When Saving for Tomorrow Necessitates Borrowing for Today

The Kenyan Financial Diaries project found that many poor households prioritized savings over liquidity when it came to their household budgets. Many viewed this as the way to get out of poverty and secure a longer term future.
Blog

The Kenya Financial Diaries: 4 Flaws in the Social Network

The Kenya Financial Diaries project tracked the detailed cash flows of 300 low-income families over the course of a year, shedding light on how the poor manage their money.
Blog

New Rwanda Diaries Ask, “Can We Build A Better Goat?”

Portfolios of Rwanda is a new report that analyzes the daily cash flows of Rwandan households to better understand their financial needs. In many cases, the challenge is no longer an issue of access to financial services, but one of relevant products.