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Togo: Microfinance Institutions Slow Down on Lending as Overdue Loans Spike Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, microfinance institutions active in Togo considerably lowered loans to the public in the nine first months of 2020.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How Digital Technology Is Reshaping Rural Microfinance
“When most people think of microfinance, they think of group-lending programs or maybe even mobile money systems like M-Pesa,” said Carter. "But there are other opportunities with mobile phones, satellites and other digital technologies to enhance access to small scale financial services to low-wealth rural households in developing countries.”
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Ethiopia Sees Jump in Mobile Payments Despite COVID-19
COVID-19 has created many disruptions in Ethiopia this year, impacting both merchants and consumers. The World Health Organization warned that paper currency can risk spreading the virus, and encouraged adoption of digital payments as a safer alternative.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: Bamboo Capital Partners Exits CONFIE After Triple-Digit Growth in Loans and Savings Portfolios
Bamboo Capital Partners (“Bamboo”), the specialist impact investor in emerging and frontier markets, today announces its successful exit from CONFIE, a Latin American microfinance investment holding company.
- Categories
- Investing
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Financial Inclusion During – and After – COVID-19: Three Takeaways From a (Very Different) European Microfinance Week 2020
The 2020 European Microfinance Week encapsulated much about the financial inclusion sector – the good, the bad and the simply confusing – as it navigated the historic challenges of the past year. Sam Mendelson at e-MFP shares three broad takeaways from the event, representing three key priorities for the inclusive finance industry as it seeks to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis – without overlooking other essential priorities.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Documenting a Historic Year in Emerging Markets Business: Vote for the Top NextBillion Article of 2020
Like many of you, we're not sorry to see the end of 2020. But as we look back on this historic, tragic year, NextBillion would like to take a moment to appreciate the extraordinary work done by enterprises, NGOs, researchers and others in the emerging markets business sector. They have risen to the occasion in ways that can best be described as heroic – while sharing their insights in nearly 100 COVID-19-focused articles on our platform. Several of these pieces are included in our "Most Influential Article of the Year" contest, which launches today. We invite you to read these articles and vote for your favorites – the contest runs from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Energy, Finance, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Businesses Behaving Badly: The Troubling Parallels Between Microfinance and Facebook
Chuck Waterfield left microfinance five years ago, after working in the sector for three decades. He stopped using Facebook three years ago, after using the platform for about 10 years. As he explains, he left them both for a similar reason: Their business models have grown increasingly problematic over time – and without external intervention, things are likely to get worse.
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
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