Blog

The Global Distribution of Smallholder and Family Farms

The terms "smallholder farm" and "family farm" are often used interchangeably, but technically refer to different dimensions of agriculture. Getting better clarity on the basic composition of the world's farms is challenging, but critical.

CGAP’s National Surveys of Smallholder Households

CGAP is undertaking national surveys of smallholders in Mozambique and Tanzania to identify distinct segments of households and determine their demand for financial services.

Capacity Building Markets: Few and Far Between

Why are there so few vibrant capacity building service markets for financial services providers? And why are these “few” so far ahead of the rest?

10 Myths About M-PESA: 2014 Update

M-PESA and its 12.6 million active customers have fundamentally altered the landscape of financial services in Kenya. Despite its popularity, there are still some misconceptions about how it works.

Simple Messages Help Consumers Understand Big Data

After experimenting with SMS messages with Tanzanian microfinance loan applicants, First Access determined that customers can learn a lot about data and their privacy from simple forms of communication.

Providing Last Mile Customer Service for Solar Home Systems

Off Grid Electric (OGE) is a solar company in Tanzania that provides low-cost energy services to households without energy access. The company is focused on breaking new ground in last-mile service.

5 Sources of Untapped Innovation in Digital Finance

Innovators, often in developed markets, are piloting powerful new value propositions for customers building on digital channel attributes. Many of these solutions do not target the poor, but the implications can be easily extrapolated to poor and low-income customers.

Can Digital Linkages Revitalize a Tried and True Savings Model?

What would it take to link savings groups and digital financial services? A team at BFA investigated the potential tradeoffs and benefits which savings groups and potential private sector stakeholders might encounter on this journey.

It's Time to Listen to the Voice of the Consumer

Credit-scoring consumers via advanced analytics on non-traditional data sources has tremendous potential for expanding the boundaries of financial inclusion. Done right, it can deliver cheaper, better financial services to under-served consumers in emerging markets.

Leveraging Mobile Phone Data: Tiaxa’s Balance Advance

Tiaxa's balance advance service is making 50 million advances each month to prepaid mobile subscribers - generally at no extra cost to the end user. How does it work? Big data plays a part.

How Analytics Drive Innovative Financial Services for the Poor

Advanced data analytics can be used in a variety of ways to support financial services for the poor. Agent network optimization and creating more effective marketing strategies are just two examples among many possibilities.

BanKO: Listening to Customers Helps Drive Growth

Taking a more customer-centric approach to financial services for the poor can help create a better value proposition for customers. BanKO, in the Philippines, is one company utilizing this approach.

Big Data for Financial Inclusion: Is Boring Better?

Big data has the potential to solve important pain points in financial services for the poor - especially through identity verification and real-time validation of credentials.

Learning from Practitioners on the CGAP Board

Enlisting industry experts and learning from their experiences is at the core of CGAP's governance structure.

Hype or Hope? Implications of Big Data for Financial Inclusion

Financial services traditionally delivered in-person are increasingly going to be complemented by virtual models of financial service delivery. Data will be a key enabler.

Price Sensitivity and the New M-Pesa Tariffs

M-Pesa recently reduced its fees on person-to-person mobile money transfers. How will these price changes affect usage?

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.

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.

Educational Transparency through Digital Finance Plus

A chain of primary and pre-primary schools in Kenya offers parents the ability to pay and track school fees with their mobile phones. The service is aimed at increased efficiency and transparency.

Myanmar: A Changing Role for Microfinance after Natural Disaster

In the wake of the most destructive natural disaster in Myanmar's history, a leading microfinance institution decided to make a big change to better serve clients in times of difficulty.