Category Archives: Africa

It was a hot and dusty day as our team drove into Meheba refugee settlement in the North-Western Province of Zambia. Our energy was high, though it was the adrenaline that kept us going after a couple days without sleep. We were going to see the initial results of a nine-month journey towards digitization of… Continue reading→

In the previous blog, we discussed the “why” – a business case for digital transformation. In this blog, we look at the “how” – the detailed steps for digital transformation. Digitise processes Digital processes are quicker, more efficient and cheaper than manual processes. A digital transformation of processes reduces the cost and friction points of… Continue reading→

Is registration for mobile accounts (wallets) really enough? What is an ideal measure of financial inclusion? The Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) defines a core set of indicators for measuring financial inclusion. The first dimension is access to the services and products that formal financial institutions offer. Yet to achieve meaningful access, we have to… Continue reading→

In the previous blog of this series, we discussed the changing nature of the financial services industry. We talked about how digital disruption has had an impact on traditional financial institutions. In this blog, we discuss how the incumbents can bring about a digital transformation to utilise the disruptive power of technology and innovation. Traditional… Continue reading→

The financial services industry is changing rapidly. A convergence of technology with finance, which, in turn, resulted in the emergence of FinTechs, has been changing the very fundamental nature of the financial industry. Apart from technology, demographic and cultural shifts continue to alter the financial services value chains. Traditional financial institutions are losing their market… Continue reading→

In previous blogs, we discussed the seven key drivers of digital exclusion in emerging markets. This one examines the implications of the observation that in most rural villages, the infrastructure to support fintech, agtech, healthtech or any other form of “tech” remains inadequate. This is because these ‘techs’ depend on users being able to access… Continue reading→

The chatter and sounds of students playing in the school ground echoes in the distance. Peter, the school owner, looks at the children through his office window with pride. It seems like just the other day when he resigned from employment as a teacher to establish his own school. To finance the start-up, he used… Continue reading→

Customer development is a fundamental requirement for any business. In digital financial services (DFS), we can view customer development as a journey that comprises customer discovery, customer captivation, and appropriating value. Customer discovery involves finding out about potential customers, and understanding whether existing solutions are able to meet their needs. Customer captivation entails continuously sustaining… Continue reading→

Since the enactment of the Microfinance Act 2006 in May 2008, there have been marked changes observed in the microfinance industry in Kenya. Over this period, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has progressively licensed 13  microfinance institutions to operate as microfinance banks (MFBs). Consequently, the industry has continued to experience positive growth. Since 2012,… Continue reading→

The introduction of mobile banking in Uganda set expectations of overall improvement in customer experience. Mobile banking would ensure that customers spent less time in the bank since the queues would be significantly reduced. Customers would also enjoy convenience in transacting from wherever they wished. Unfortunately, both adoption and use of this channel have been… Continue reading→