Agent Network Journeys Towards the Last Mile: Lessons from China, Colombia, India, Indonesia and Kenya
Webinar
Agent networks are a critical interface between poor customers and digital financial services (DFS) providers. They enable Cash-in and Cash-out (CICO) transactions that allow customers to convert e-money into cash, and vice versa, enabling the use of DFS. Given that most of the world’s financially excluded and underserved customers live in rural areas, the expansion of rural CICO agent networks is required to further financial inclusion, however it remains a challenge for agents to viably reach many of these areas.
Earlier CGAP research identified universal principles for expanding rural agent networks at the last mile. However, the way in which the principles have been applied varies from country to country. To learn more on how these principles have been implemented, CGAP and its partners conducted deep dive studies in five leading financial markets: Kenya, Colombia, India, Indonesia and China. Each of these countries has seen significant progress expanding rural agent networks in very different market, policy and regulatory contexts. This webinar discussed how different contexts require different approaches to expand agent networks over time.
Webinar Resources
Publication: Agent Networks at the Last Mile (November 2019) >>
Speakers
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Beatriz Marulanda | CEO, Marulanda Consultores Beatriz headed the team that advised the Colombian Government in the design and implementation of Colombia’s financial inclusion policy, Banca de las Oportunidades. She was also part of the team that helped in the design of the payments strategy for Familias en Acción through deposits into savings accounts.
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Graham A.N. Wright | Founder and Group Managing Director, MSC Graham pioneered much of the core of market-led approach used by MSC. He has around 30 years of experience in emerging markets underpinned by five years of experience in management consultancy, training and audit with Arthur Andersen in Europe. |
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Stephen Deng | Partner, DFS Lab Stephen leads DFS Lab's investment initiatives including venture sourcing and selection. Prior to joining DFS Lab, he was a technology consultant for the Gates Foundation’s Financial Services for the Poor team, working on its emerging technology strategy in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Stephen also served as an economic consultant in Silicon Valley, helping telecom and consumer tech clients value their intellectual property, with a focus on the smartphone ecosystem. |
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Emilio Hernandez | Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP Emilio leads CGAP’s work to promote agent networks’ rural reach and quality. His work focuses on better understanding the financial needs of underserved client groups, like smallholder families, and experimenting with providers innovative strategies and products that meet those needs. Prior to CGAP, he led technical cooperation programs focused on inclusive rural and agricultural finance at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations overseeing interventions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He also oversaw business operations for a large international agricultural technology company throughout Central America. |