BFA GLOBAL

Publications by this author

Razones para colaborar. Techreo está ampliando el alcance de las Mypes a través de una plataforma de comercio electrónico de canal cerrado
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Razones para colaborar. Techreo está ampliando el alcance de las Mypes a través de una plataforma de comercio electrónico de canal cerrado

La venta de productos y servicios a través de plataformas en línea demostró ser un herramienta crucial para apoyar...

By Marco Antonio Del Rio
Why we partnered: Techreo is expanding MSEs’ reach through a closed-loop e-commerce platform
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Why we partnered: Techreo is expanding MSEs’ reach through a closed-loop e-commerce platform

Selling products and services through online platforms has proved to be a crucial lifeline for supporting micro and small...

By Grace Onyuka
Caminos hacia la resiliencia de las micro y pequeñas empresas en México
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Caminos hacia la resiliencia de las micro y pequeñas empresas en México

Originalmente publicado en la página del Portal FinDev, Diciembre, 07, 2022 Nancy es comerciante, madre y el sostén de...

By Marco Antonio Del Rio
Midiendo lo que importa: De la inclusión financiera a la salud financiera
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Midiendo lo que importa: De la inclusión financiera a la salud financiera

Originalmente publicado en la página del Portal FinDev, Febrero, 23, 2023 En las últimas dos décadas, la inclusión financiera...

By Marco Antonio Del Rio
Operationalizing financial health: Experiences from Vietnam
Financial Health |

Operationalizing financial health: Experiences from Vietnam

A leading microfinance institution (MFI) in Vietnam, Capital Aid for Employment of the Poor (CEP), is at the forefront...

By Benjamin Mazzotta PhD
Digital Onboarding Playbook: Customer Success at the Last Mile
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Digital Onboarding Playbook: Customer Success at the Last Mile

Customer onboarding should be an intentional process, not just to welcome a customer, but to educate and encourage them...

By BFA GLOBAL
Fintech for Climate Resilience
Climate Action |

Fintech for Climate Resilience

  This report by the CIFAR Alliance Investors Working Group highlights 11 successful ventures that are building solutions to...

By BFA GLOBAL
4 Innovation Opportunities to Unlock the Potential of Blue Carbon
Climate Action |

4 Innovation Opportunities to Unlock the Potential of Blue Carbon

The blue carbon wave This week at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, global thought leaders will come together...

By Tyler Ferdinand
Strive México: Caminos hacia la resiliencia de las MYPES
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Strive México: Caminos hacia la resiliencia de las MYPES

  En México, las micro y pequeñas empresas (MYPES) juegan un papel importante en la economía, representan el 97%...

By BFA GLOBAL
Strive Mexico: Roads to Resilience for MSEs
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Strive Mexico: Roads to Resilience for MSEs

In Mexico, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) play an important role in the economy, accounting for 97% of all...

By BFA GLOBAL
[Press release] FSD Africa invests $3.5M in Catalyst Fund to accelerate and scale pre-seed impact ventures in Africa
Climate Action |

[Press release] FSD Africa invests $3.5M in Catalyst Fund to accelerate and scale pre-seed impact ventures in Africa

LONDON, UK, July 14, 2022 – Global inclusive tech accelerator Catalyst Fund, managed by BFA Global, announced today that...

By BFA GLOBAL
Inclusive Fintech Talent Program: Two Years of Impact
Inclusive Fintech |

Inclusive Fintech Talent Program: Two Years of Impact

Download Infographic   Learn about the Program

By BFA GLOBAL
Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement
Digital Financial Services |

Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement

Research tracking the income, spending habits, and livelihoods of refugees in Uganda.

By BFA GLOBAL
Why we invested: Shopa is delivering wholesale prices to informal retailers
Inclusive Fintech |

Why we invested: Shopa is delivering wholesale prices to informal retailers

In Ghana, informal retailers make up a $2.5 billion industry that provides consumers with the essential goods they need...

By Sam Alhadeff
[Press release] Four Ghanaian digital companies receive funding and acceleration support through the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator program
Inclusive Fintech |

[Press release] Four Ghanaian digital companies receive funding and acceleration support through the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator program

      ACCRA, Ghana, 28 October, 2021 – Today, the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator welcomed four...

By BFA GLOBAL
Learning From Our Past: Successful Ecosystem Evolutions Follow a Common Path
Climate Action |

Learning From Our Past: Successful Ecosystem Evolutions Follow a Common Path

In early 2021, BFA Global, CGAP, UNCDF’s Better than Cash Alliance, PayPal, the UN’s Race to Resilience, and the...

By Bethany Kanten
Cross-Cutting Themes for the Emergence of the DF4CR Ecosystem
Climate Action |

Cross-Cutting Themes for the Emergence of the DF4CR Ecosystem

By 2030, the DF4CR task force estimates that over 1 billion people can gain access to climate resilience solutions...

By Bethany Kanten
Measuring the Financial Health of Gig Workers in China
Digital Financial Services |

Measuring the Financial Health of Gig Workers in China

The growth of digital platforms has created new employment opportunities for workers globally that did not exist before. Despite...

By Dr. Xiugen Mo
Pioneering solutions in Digital Finance for Climate Resilience
Climate Action |

Pioneering solutions in Digital Finance for Climate Resilience

How can digital finance build climate resilience among the world’s most vulnerable? To understand the opportunity for digital finance and fintech...

By BFA GLOBAL
Impact performance: Paymenow
Inclusive Fintech |

Impact performance: Paymenow

Download Infographic   LEARN ABOUT PAYMENOW

By BFA GLOBAL
[Press release] Catalyst Fund announces its latest cohort of companies bringing inclusive fintech solutions to underserved communities
Climate Action |

[Press release] Catalyst Fund announces its latest cohort of companies bringing inclusive fintech solutions to underserved communities

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 2, 2021 – Global inclusive tech accelerator Catalyst Fund, managed by BFA Global, today announced its...

By BFA GLOBAL
Impact performance: Pesakit
Inclusive Fintech |

Impact performance: Pesakit

Download Infographic        LEARN ABOUT PESAKIT

By BFA GLOBAL
Impact performance: Meerkat
Inclusive Fintech |

Impact performance: Meerkat

Download Infographic        learn about meerkat

By BFA GLOBAL
Impact performance: Cowrywise
Inclusive Fintech |

Impact performance: Cowrywise

Download Infographic      learn about cowrywise

By BFA GLOBAL
Impact performance: FarMart
Inclusive Fintech |

Impact performance: FarMart

Download Infographic         learn about farmart

By BFA GLOBAL
From analog to digitized: Future-proofing financial cooperatives in Mexico
Financial Health |

From analog to digitized: Future-proofing financial cooperatives in Mexico

For savings and loans cooperatives in Mexico, the competition is growing. Banks, fintechs and superplatforms are starting to offer...

By Leticia Jauregui
Profitability 2.0: Ecosystem-driven business modelling and the future of mobile money margins
Digital Financial Services |

Profitability 2.0: Ecosystem-driven business modelling and the future of mobile money margins

The past decade has seen mobile money providers worldwide achieve profitability at scale, enabling them to continue investing in...

By BFA GLOBAL
Press release: Boost Ghana and KudiGo selected as the first cohort of the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Press release: Boost Ghana and KudiGo selected as the first cohort of the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator

The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce accelerator, managed by BFA Global, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery...

By BFA GLOBAL
Gender and Women’s Empowerment

Gender and Women’s Empowerment

At BFA Global we regularly evaluate inclusiveness of programs and products via a gender lens, with an eye toward...

By BFA GLOBAL
Press Release: BFA Global and J.P. Morgan collaboration set to transform spaza shop industry in South Africa’s townships
Digital Financial Services |

Press Release: BFA Global and J.P. Morgan collaboration set to transform spaza shop industry in South Africa’s townships

A country-first initiative to expand reach of digital commerce solutions to thousands of spaza shops over the next nine...

By BFA GLOBAL
Press Release: MSEs in Ghana to benefit as leading West African investors, and founders join as expert advisors to the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator
Digital Financial Services |

Press Release: MSEs in Ghana to benefit as leading West African investors, and founders join as expert advisors to the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator

ACCRA, Ghana, 10th December, 2020 –  The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator, managed by BFA Global, in partnership...

By BFA GLOBAL
Más allá de la inclusión financiera: Midiendo y mejorando el impacto de la salud financiera en México
Financial Health |

Más allá de la inclusión financiera: Midiendo y mejorando el impacto de la salud financiera en México

Medir la salud financiera es un desafío. Aunque existe consenso en la industria sobre el tema de la salud...

By Benjamin Mazzotta PhD
A creative approach to startup financing: Graviti combines grant, debt and equity investment, linked to impact outcomes
Inclusive Fintech |

A creative approach to startup financing: Graviti combines grant, debt and equity investment, linked to impact outcomes

It took Catalyst Fund portfolio company Graviti only two months to raise a debt round that will finance 600+...

By Eduardo Ortiz Reynaga
Beyond financial inclusion: Measuring and improving financial health outcomes in México
Financial Health |

Beyond financial inclusion: Measuring and improving financial health outcomes in México

Measuring financial health is a challenge. Although there is industry consensus on the theme of financial health, the methodologies...

By Benjamin Mazzotta PhD
Press Release: Announcing the $4.3M Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator in Ghana to improve the financial resilience of informal MSEs
Inclusive Fintech |

Press Release: Announcing the $4.3M Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator in Ghana to improve the financial resilience of informal MSEs

ACCRA, Ghana, 19th October, 2020 – Catalyst Fund, managed by BFA Global, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and...

By BFA GLOBAL
MTN MoMo Pay Merchant Payments: Expanding Women’s Mobile Money Use in Ghana
Digital Financial Services |

MTN MoMo Pay Merchant Payments: Expanding Women’s Mobile Money Use in Ghana

MTN Ghana launched a merchant payment service in January 2017 called MoMo Pay to increase mobile money use in...

By BFA GLOBAL
Zambian micro- and small enterprises during COVID-19: Wave One Findings
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Zambian micro- and small enterprises during COVID-19: Wave One Findings

Zambia recorded its first case of COVID-19 on March 18 and took early action to contain the spread. As...

By Veethi Vyas
Grit, Skills and Luck: Examining the financial lives of refugees in Uganda
Refugee Finance |

Grit, Skills and Luck: Examining the financial lives of refugees in Uganda

This report commissioned by FSD Uganda and FSD Africa provides an in-depth analysis of a quantitative survey undertaken in...

By BFA GLOBAL
Stress Testing in Crisis: Helping Cooperatives Adjust Financial Projections during COVID-19
Financial Health |

Stress Testing in Crisis: Helping Cooperatives Adjust Financial Projections during COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has required major and rapid action at all levels of society and the economy.  As of...

By Jacob Winiecki
Imagining Post-COVID recovery
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Imagining Post-COVID recovery

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, July 10, 2020  How Financial Diaries families imagine reconstructing their income streams...

By Julie Zollmann
La planeación de escenarios puede ayudar a las cooperativas de ahorro y préstamo mexicanas a prepararse para el impacto del COVID-19
Financial Health |

La planeación de escenarios puede ayudar a las cooperativas de ahorro y préstamo mexicanas a prepararse para el impacto del COVID-19

Todas las opiniones aquí expresadas son exclusivas de BFA Global, por lo que MetLife no es responsable de la...

By Jacob Winiecki
Financial Health Innovations in Vietnam (VietFHI)

Financial Health Innovations in Vietnam (VietFHI)

Information for Study Participants This study is titled, Financial health of the customers of CEP at the time of...

By BFA GLOBAL
World Refugee Day 2020: #EveryActionCounts
Refugee Finance |

World Refugee Day 2020: #EveryActionCounts

This World Refugee Day, we take a moment to reflect on our work focused around making finance work for...

By BFA GLOBAL
Corona Case Studies: ‘Waiting for nothing’
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: ‘Waiting for nothing’

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, June 12, 2020  Agnes, 45, lives in rural Makueni with her children...

By Julie Zollmann
Back to an empty market
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Back to an empty market

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, June 10, 2020  Desperate for income, many Diaries respondents have gone back...

By Julie Zollmann
Scenario planning can help Mexican financial cooperatives prepare for COVID-19 impact
Financial Health |

Scenario planning can help Mexican financial cooperatives prepare for COVID-19 impact

All opinions are BFA Global’s.   While the pandemic has caused simultaneous supply and demand shocks to economies around...

By Jacob Winiecki
Videos tutoriales: Modelo de pruebas de estrés

Videos tutoriales: Modelo de pruebas de estrés

En esta página pueden encontrar una serie de tutoriales que pueden utilizar para poder instalar el modelo y utilizarlo...

By BFA GLOBAL
Webinar y presentación: Resiliencia Cooperativa en Tiempos de COVID-19
Financial Health |

Webinar y presentación: Resiliencia Cooperativa en Tiempos de COVID-19

Sesión informativa y de presentación de alternativas para el sector cooperativo sobre cómo hacer frente a la contingencia provocada...

By Jorge Hernandez
Webinar y presentación: FinnSalud ante el COVID-19: Hallazgos e iniciativas para enfrentar la crisis
Financial Health |

Webinar y presentación: FinnSalud ante el COVID-19: Hallazgos e iniciativas para enfrentar la crisis

FinnSalud ante el COVID-19: Hallazgos e iniciativas para enfrentar la crisis Presentación virtual para diversas agencias ejecutoras y académicos...

By Jorge Hernandez
Guía de Sugerencias operacionales en tiempos del COVID-19
Financial Health |

Guía de Sugerencias operacionales en tiempos del COVID-19

La guía de Sugerencias operacionales busca apoyar a las cooperativas a prepararse para responder a la crisis...

By Ashirul Amin PhD
Keeping the Lights On: How PAYGo Solar Can Offer Customer Relief During COVID-19
PAYGo and Essential Services |

Keeping the Lights On: How PAYGo Solar Can Offer Customer Relief During COVID-19

Originally posted on the NextBillion Website, May 1, 2020  Off-grid solar delivers essential energy services for millions of people,...

By Jacob Winiecki
Corona Case Studies: Lost without church
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: Lost without church

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 30, 2020  Vera (45) lives in an informal settlement in Mombasa....

By Julie Zollmann
If the coronavirus doesn’t kill you…
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

If the coronavirus doesn’t kill you…

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 21, 2020  Kenyans’ reflections on security in the time of Covid-19...

By Julie Zollmann
“Our love has grown more”
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

“Our love has grown more”

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 21, 2020  Coronavirus disruptions are giving some Kenyan women a reprieve...

By Julie Zollmann
Corona Case Studies: Kibarua crunch
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: Kibarua crunch

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 14, 2020 William, 39, hunts for earning options in Mombasa William...

By Julie Zollmann
Shamba bora (fertile farmland), Shamba la mawe (rocky farmland)
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Shamba bora (fertile farmland), Shamba la mawe (rocky farmland)

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 14, 2020  Urban and rural areas are coping with the coronavirus...

By Julie Zollmann
Corona Case Studies: Mountains Beyond Mountains
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: Mountains Beyond Mountains

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 9, 2020 Kenyan families are trying to cope with perpetual strain...

By Julie Zollmann
Dilemmas of distancing
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Dilemmas of distancing

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 9, 2020 Barriers to coronavirus prevention behaviour change in Kenya Like...

By Julie Zollmann
The costs of coping with Coronavirus
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

The costs of coping with Coronavirus

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 8, 2020 Not only are Kenyans losing their incomes right now,...

By Julie Zollmann
Corona Case Studies: “If I had food, I would close the shop”
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: “If I had food, I would close the shop”

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 7, 2020 Millicent, 44, and Amos, 45, live in Eldoret with...

By Julie Zollmann
The ultimate stress test for financial resilience
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

The ultimate stress test for financial resilience

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 7, 2020 How coronavirus adaptations are straining Kenyans’ most robust financial...

By Julie Zollmann
Corona Case Studies: Loss of Income, Loss of Pride
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Corona Case Studies: Loss of Income, Loss of Pride

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 6, 2020 Stephen and Jessica live in their rural home in...

By Julie Zollmann
When hustling fails: The impact of coronavirus mitigation efforts on ordinary people’s livelihoods
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

When hustling fails: The impact of coronavirus mitigation efforts on ordinary people’s livelihoods

Originally posted on the FSD Kenya Website, April 6, 2020 Unlike many Kenyans, Esther in rural Makueni is not...

By Julie Zollmann
COVID-19: Impact and solutions for emerging markets
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

COVID-19: Impact and solutions for emerging markets

Social distancing and lockdown measures have become the new reality for many across the globe in light of COVID-19....

By BFA GLOBAL
Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Launch Press Release
Refugee Finance |

Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Launch Press Release

By BFA GLOBAL
Infographic: Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey
Refugee Finance |

Infographic: Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey

By BFA GLOBAL
New lives, new tools: The financial lives of refugee communities
Refugee Finance |

New lives, new tools: The financial lives of refugee communities

Observations by BFA Global based on initial field research  Access to financial services and a steady source of income...

By BFA GLOBAL
The OPTIX Impact At A Glance
Financial Health |

The OPTIX Impact At A Glance

MetLife Foundation and global financial consultancy BFA Global created the OPTIX program to help people living on low incomes...

By BFA GLOBAL
FinnSalud at FLII 2020
Financial Health |

FinnSalud at FLII 2020

  This week at FLII 2020 the FinnSalud project hosted a session entitles – Data-driven strategies to catalyze financial...

By BFA GLOBAL
Digital pathways to inclusive growth: BFA Global’s next generation of work in livelihoods
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Digital pathways to inclusive growth: BFA Global’s next generation of work in livelihoods

The new economy presents opportunities and risks for digital workers Our excitement about digital platforms is grounded in their...

By David Porteous PhD
iWorkers – a new bellwether of the digital economy?
Financial Health |

iWorkers – a new bellwether of the digital economy?

How inclusive is the digital economy really? As governments and businesses around the world hasten to digitize, this is...

By David Porteous PhD
The iWorker Project – Country Diagnostic Report: Ghana
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

The iWorker Project – Country Diagnostic Report: Ghana

iWorkers are a new category of workers – people whose livelihoods are enabled by digital commerce platforms where they...

By BFA GLOBAL
Inclusive Product Market Fit Toolkit

Inclusive Product Market Fit Toolkit

How do you know if you are ready to start investing in growth or if you need continue pushing...

By BFA GLOBAL
Design For Trust Toolkit

Design For Trust Toolkit

By BFA GLOBAL
Risk Diagnostic

Risk Diagnostic

By BFA GLOBAL
AI Readiness Toolkit

AI Readiness Toolkit

By BFA GLOBAL
Financial Inclusion Framework Strengthening
Digital Financial Services |

Financial Inclusion Framework Strengthening

BFA Global conducted an assessment on how the implementation of a digital national ID system in the Philippines can...

By BFA GLOBAL
Embracing Change Management to Better Serve Customers
Financial Health |

Embracing Change Management to Better Serve Customers

Banco W is a financial institution in Colombia which OPTIX’s research discovered had a rapidly-changing client base. As a...

By BFA GLOBAL
Improving Financial Health of People in Bangladesh
Financial Health |

Improving Financial Health of People in Bangladesh

OPTIX worked with SAJIDA Foundation, a microfinance institution in Bangladesh, whose low-income customers were looking for a reliable credit...

By BFA GLOBAL
FinnSalud One-pager (English & Spanish)
Financial Health |

FinnSalud One-pager (English & Spanish)

FinnSalud is a 3.5-year project supported by MetLife Foundation, fiscally sponsored by RPA and managed by BFA Global in...

By BFA GLOBAL
Data for Decision-Making: The benefits of potential changes to cash management
Financial Health |

Data for Decision-Making: The benefits of potential changes to cash management

Data and digitization can be powerful tools for evaluating the business case of a potential change to operations. CEP...

By BFA GLOBAL
Chai, Chapatis and the Propensity for Success: How big data can help small hustles
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Chai, Chapatis and the Propensity for Success: How big data can help small hustles

By BFA GLOBAL
How Artificial Intelligence Can Simplify International Development Research: An Intriguing Experiment

How Artificial Intelligence Can Simplify International Development Research: An Intriguing Experiment

  Anyone working in international development can spend large amounts of time trying to keep up with news about...

By Jacob Rosen
Meet the iWorkers – Rhoda & Erica
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Meet the iWorkers – Rhoda & Erica

The iWorker Project spoke with two entrepreneurs in Ghana, Rhoda and Erica, about their foodservice business, which they recently...

By BFA GLOBAL
Meet the iWorkers – Illa
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Meet the iWorkers – Illa

Illa is an artisan based in Ghana who sells his goods both in-person in an artisan marketplace, and online....

By BFA GLOBAL
Meet the iWorkers – Joseph
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Meet the iWorkers – Joseph

Joseph, an Accra, Ghana-based entrepreneur sat down with the iWorker Project to discuss why he decided to leave a...

By BFA GLOBAL
Digital Commerce and Youth Employment in Africa
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Digital Commerce and Youth Employment in Africa

Digital commerce, or e-commerce, is impacting employment opportunities in Africa by reshaping the nature of work through gig platforms,...

By BFA GLOBAL
From Last Mile to First Touch: The Changing Role of Aggregators in Digital Finance Ecosystems
Financial Health |

From Last Mile to First Touch: The Changing Role of Aggregators in Digital Finance Ecosystems

New models of aggregation are rapidly emerging within digital ecosystems that can connect both consumers and workers to a...

By BFA GLOBAL
How can digital commerce promote youth employment in Africa?
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

How can digital commerce promote youth employment in Africa?

Digital commerce, or e-commerce, is impacting employment opportunities in Africa by reshaping the nature of work through gig platforms,...

By BFA GLOBAL
The Future is Now: Strategies to Improve Financial Health
Financial Health |

The Future is Now: Strategies to Improve Financial Health

“Change is a very difficult thing to do. Change is hard” – Evelyn Stark, MetLife Foundation Financial institutions really...

By BFA GLOBAL
Beyond Marketing: Generating Trust to Sell Online
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Beyond Marketing: Generating Trust to Sell Online

Small merchants need to create and maintain trust with customers to sell online, but they could use more help...

By Amolo Ng'weno
The OPTIX Impact
Digital Financial Services |

The OPTIX Impact

Financial institutions around the world are serving a new wave of customers, and serving the previously unserved and underserved...

By BFA GLOBAL
SAJIDA Foundation Digital Onboarding Experience Demo
Financial Health |

SAJIDA Foundation Digital Onboarding Experience Demo

SAJIDA Foundation is a non-profit providing microfinance services to low-income customers in Bangladesh. Customers are able to borrow from...

By BFA GLOBAL
CEP FAS App Demo: Helping Clients Save for the Future
Financial Health |

CEP FAS App Demo: Helping Clients Save for the Future

CEP, and microfinance institution in Vietnam, wanted to help its clients build resilience for the long-term future. Loan officers...

By BFA GLOBAL
Acreimex Lending App Demo: Getting Loans to Clients Faster
Financial Health |

Acreimex Lending App Demo: Getting Loans to Clients Faster

Acreimex is a cooperative serving low-income people in Mexico. The group credit loan is crucial to its success, but...

By BFA GLOBAL
A Roadmap for More and Better Savings
Financial Health |

A Roadmap for More and Better Savings

Acreimex is a financial institution serving low-income people in Mexico with a human touch. The OPTIX program worked with...

By BFA GLOBAL
Leapfrogging an MFI from Manual to Digital
Financial Health |

Leapfrogging an MFI from Manual to Digital

Starting in 2015, under the OPTIX project we worked with SAJIDA Foundation, an MFI-NGO in Bangladesh to identify and...

By BFA GLOBAL
Let’s Be Real: The Informal Sector and the Gig Economy are the Future, and the Present, of Work in Africa

Let’s Be Real: The Informal Sector and the Gig Economy are the Future, and the Present, of Work in Africa

By BFA GLOBAL
Digital Savings Groups Can Help Women Finally Bridge the Financial Gender Gap
Digital Financial Services |

Digital Savings Groups Can Help Women Finally Bridge the Financial Gender Gap

Authored by Sushmita Meka; Sally Ross, AKF; Daryl Collins The rapid growth of mobile money in some countries has...

By BFA GLOBAL
Refugees and their money – understanding the enablers of the camp economy in Rwanda
Refugee Finance |

Refugees and their money – understanding the enablers of the camp economy in Rwanda

In Rwanda, financial inclusion allows low-income households to build assets, mitigate shocks and make productive investments. It also stimulates...

By BFA GLOBAL
Digital Savings Groups
Digital Financial Services |

Digital Savings Groups

Savings groups play an important role for individuals who lack options to save large amounts of money or have...

By BFA GLOBAL
How has Catalyst Fund helped MobiLife expand its access to investors?
Inclusive Fintech |

How has Catalyst Fund helped MobiLife expand its access to investors?

MobiLife believes that no family should go hungry due to the loss of a breadwinner. It is Africa’s first...

By BFA GLOBAL
How did the Catalyst Fund grant funding and technical assistance help PayLatr to build out their micro-credit platform?
Inclusive Fintech |

How did the Catalyst Fund grant funding and technical assistance help PayLatr to build out their micro-credit platform?

On average, a middle-income household in India spends about 7,000 – 9,000 rupees at any neighborhood store. More than...

By BFA GLOBAL
How did Catalyst Fund help WorldCover better understand their customers to create more trust in their product?
Inclusive Fintech |

How did Catalyst Fund help WorldCover better understand their customers to create more trust in their product?

Trust plays one of the most crucial roles for a new venture in an emerging market. Building trust with...

By BFA GLOBAL
How is Catalyst Fund helping Harvesting get investment ready through product market fit?
Financial Health |

How is Catalyst Fund helping Harvesting get investment ready through product market fit?

Harvesting aims to be the Agriculture Intelligence Engine, which will help bring speed, accuracy and transparency across the agricultural...

By BFA GLOBAL
Helping ToGarantido provide affordable and accessible financial services in Brazil’s favelas
Inclusive Fintech |

Helping ToGarantido provide affordable and accessible financial services in Brazil’s favelas

Emerging market customers are often under-protected and have little to no access to traditional insurance distribution channels. ToGarantido was...

By BFA GLOBAL
Superplatforms: Unlocking the Potential of Merchants, E-Commerce and Financial Services in Africa
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Superplatforms: Unlocking the Potential of Merchants, E-Commerce and Financial Services in Africa

FIBR explored the potential of superplatforms, the major tech platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and others and their impact...

By BFA GLOBAL
How does it help WorldCover to be part of the Catalyst Fund network?
Inclusive Fintech |

How does it help WorldCover to be part of the Catalyst Fund network?

#InsurTech companies such as World Cover are serving customers with little reported financial data, farmers and women & providing...

By BFA GLOBAL
From Ideas to Field Tests in 4 Days: A Design Sprint for Refugee-Centered Financial Services
Refugee Finance |

From Ideas to Field Tests in 4 Days: A Design Sprint for Refugee-Centered Financial Services

In June 2018, BFA Global, a global consulting firm led a four-day design sprint for financial service providers (FSPs)...

By John Won
How is Catalyst Fund helping Abalobi build financial services for people on low-income?
Inclusive Fintech |

How is Catalyst Fund helping Abalobi build financial services for people on low-income?

Here’s how Catalyst Fund, a program of BFA with the support of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bill &...

By BFA GLOBAL
How are FIBR and PEGAfrica building viable PAYGo businesses and their agents?
PAYGo and Essential Services |

How are FIBR and PEGAfrica building viable PAYGo businesses and their agents?

FIBR worked with PEGAfrica to develop an agent sales app to improve how they can target, manage and intervene...

By BFA GLOBAL
The Impact of Banco Azteca in Peru
Digital Financial Services |

The Impact of Banco Azteca in Peru

Despite being one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America, Peru has relatively low levels of financial inclusion....

By BFA GLOBAL
Affordable and Accessible Remittance Services for Refugees: A Toolkit
Refugee Finance |

Affordable and Accessible Remittance Services for Refugees: A Toolkit

BFA Global developed and piloted a tool to conduct a country assessment on demand, supply, and regulatory considerations for...

By BFA GLOBAL
Uganda country assessment on affordable and accessible remittances for forcibly displaced persons and host communities
Digital Financial Services |

Uganda country assessment on affordable and accessible remittances for forcibly displaced persons and host communities

Although the market for providing remittance services to refugees is large, financial service providers have found it difficult to...

By BFA GLOBAL
Pioneering Cashless Microfinance in Bangladesh
Digital Financial Services |

Pioneering Cashless Microfinance in Bangladesh

As part of the OPTIX project, funded by MetLife Foundation and run by BFA Global, SAJIDA started exploring options...

By BFA GLOBAL
Using Evidence to Optimize Savings and Loan Payment Channel Choices
Digital Financial Services |

Using Evidence to Optimize Savings and Loan Payment Channel Choices

By Maelis Carraro and Justin Grider What does a year’s worth of channel transactions tell us about a client’s...

By BFA GLOBAL
What are some of the AI gallery applications for PAYGo providers?
PAYGo and Essential Services |

What are some of the AI gallery applications for PAYGo providers?

Originating from of FIBR’s AI Gallery, this video describes how AI and machine learning can apply to PAYGo. Matt...

By BFA GLOBAL
Learning out Loud with our Partners
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Learning out Loud with our Partners

A FIBR Video Series We are pleased to share the recent videos of FIBR’s work this year focused on...

By BFA GLOBAL
Refugees and Their Money: Assessing the Business Case for Providing Financial Services to Refugees
Refugee Finance |

Refugees and Their Money: Assessing the Business Case for Providing Financial Services to Refugees

BFA Global supported by FSDA carried out a macro and microanalysis to build a better understanding of the financial...

By BFA GLOBAL
Financial Digital Identity: Landscaping a digital financial identity for SADC
Digital Financial Services |

Financial Digital Identity: Landscaping a digital financial identity for SADC

This report by David Porteous (BFA Global Founder and Chair) from the FinMark Trust Digital Identity workshop sets out a...

By BFA GLOBAL
Financial Inclusion for Refugees: Laying the Foundation for a Business Case for Financial Industry Players in Uganda
Refugee Finance |

Financial Inclusion for Refugees: Laying the Foundation for a Business Case for Financial Industry Players in Uganda

On Friday 8th December, FSD Uganda held a roundtable event in Kampala to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss Financial Inclusion...

By Roland Amoah
Accelerating Inclusive Fintech – Catalyst Fund
Inclusive Fintech |

Accelerating Inclusive Fintech – Catalyst Fund

2017 has been a busy and fruitful year for us here at Catalyst Fund. We’re excited to share the...

By BFA GLOBAL
Escaping Darkness: Understanding the Consumer Value in PAYGo Solar
PAYGo and Essential Services |

Escaping Darkness: Understanding the Consumer Value in PAYGo Solar

This second report by CGAP and FIBR seeks to understand the value that customers derived from PAYGo solar and...

By BFA GLOBAL
Potential for Mobile Money in Vietnam
Digital Financial Services |

Potential for Mobile Money in Vietnam

Co-authored with Ashirul Amin & Laura Cojocaru   Early adopters in Ho Chi Minh City embrace payments but mobile...

By Kelly Nguyen
Can Digital Savings Groups Bridge the Digital Divide?
Digital Financial Services |

Can Digital Savings Groups Bridge the Digital Divide?

By Innocent Ephraim (FSDT), Daniel Mhina (FSDT), Juliet Kiluwa (FSDT), Daryl Collins (BFA) Technology is an inevitability, it is...

By BFA GLOBAL
Person-to-government (P2G) payment digitisation: Lessons from Kenya
Digital Financial Services |

Person-to-government (P2G) payment digitisation: Lessons from Kenya

This report by GSMA looks deep into how mobile money has shaped the Kenyan P2G payments journey, based on...

By BFA GLOBAL
Building an Inclusive Digital Payments Ecosystem: The Way Forward
Digital Financial Services |

Building an Inclusive Digital Payments Ecosystem: The Way Forward

This Diagnostic Report by UN-based Better Than Cash Alliance and BFA Global, assesses Ghana’s progress to date, and sets out...

By BFA GLOBAL
Know Your Customer Requirements for DFS in Uganda
Digital Financial Services |

Know Your Customer Requirements for DFS in Uganda

The UNCDF MM4P program contracted BFA Global to conduct a Study on Know Your Customer (KYC) Requirements for Digital...

By BFA GLOBAL
Can ‘PAYGo Finance’ Connect Investors to Low-Income Customers?
PAYGo and Essential Services |

Can ‘PAYGo Finance’ Connect Investors to Low-Income Customers?

The Rise of a New Asset Class Alternative lenders in East Africa are connecting underbanked consumers with affordable, asset-backed...

By BFA GLOBAL
A Buck Short: Financial Diaries Gender Insights

A Buck Short: Financial Diaries Gender Insights

This report draws on Financial Diaries data from India, Kenya, and Mexico to enhance the field’s understanding of women’s...

By BFA GLOBAL
InFocus
Digital Financial Services |

InFocus

The InFocus project examined the experiences of four developing country banks that have specific savings account offerings targeted toward...

By BFA GLOBAL
OPTIX
Digital Financial Services |

OPTIX

BFA Global and MetLife Foundation created OPTIX to support financial institutions in building better portfolios of products for their low-income customers. OPTIX stands for...

By BFA GLOBAL
Mexico Financial Diaries
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Mexico Financial Diaries

Mexican Financial Diaries set out to obtain granular, long-term, provider-side data about the financial lives of low-income Mexicans. This...

By BFA GLOBAL
Fiji Regulatory Impact Assessment
Policy and Regulation |

Fiji Regulatory Impact Assessment

A regulatory impact assessment (RIA) can assist in determining the change effected by regulation/policy (henceforth combined and referred to...

By BFA GLOBAL
Flexipay Payment System
Digital Financial Services |

Flexipay Payment System

Flexipay is a blended financing concept, designed to help low-income families meet large financing needs, like school fees. Flexipay...

By BFA GLOBAL
Kenya Financial Diaries
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Kenya Financial Diaries

BFA Global, funded by FSD Kenya, undertook a comprehensive financial diaries study in Kenya. Over the course of one...

By BFA GLOBAL
Smallholder Financial Diaries
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Smallholder Financial Diaries

The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) contracted BFA Global to implement the year-long Financial Diaries with Smallholder...

By BFA GLOBAL
Smart Communities
Refugee Finance |

Smart Communities

The size and longevity of many refugee camps across the world are indicative of the permanent rather than transient...

By BFA GLOBAL
Gateway to Financial Innovations for Savings (GAFIS) Insights
Digital Financial Services |

Gateway to Financial Innovations for Savings (GAFIS) Insights

In the GAFIS project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BFA Global worked with bank executives and...

By BFA GLOBAL
Alternative Delivery Channels for Financial Inclusion: Opportunities And Challenges In African Banks And Microfinance Institutions 2016
Digital Financial Services |

Alternative Delivery Channels for Financial Inclusion: Opportunities And Challenges In African Banks And Microfinance Institutions 2016

Financial inclusion rates in Africa are among the lowest in the world. Providing secure, affordable, and easy-to-use financial products...

By BFA GLOBAL
Mobile Money Meets Microcredit: Three Key Decisions in Taking a Concept from Design to Pilot
Digital Financial Services |

Mobile Money Meets Microcredit: Three Key Decisions in Taking a Concept from Design to Pilot

  In a previous blog post, we were introduced to how SAJIDA Foundation in Bangladesh is using evidence from...

By BFA GLOBAL
Credit at the Cusp
Policy and Regulation |

Credit at the Cusp

African economies are currently undergoing dramatic changes, including a changing consumer base.  Absolute poverty is reducing as a new...

By BFA GLOBAL
Small “B” Biashara: self-employment & economic advancement in financial diaries households

Small “B” Biashara: self-employment & economic advancement in financial diaries households

By BFA GLOBAL
El Niágara en Bicicleta (Spanish)

El Niágara en Bicicleta (Spanish)

By BFA GLOBAL
El Niágara en Bicicleta (Spanish)

El Niágara en Bicicleta (Spanish)

By BFA GLOBAL
El Niágara en Bicicleta (English)

El Niágara en Bicicleta (English)

By BFA GLOBAL
The Data is Already There, Now Smartphones Can Capture It
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

The Data is Already There, Now Smartphones Can Capture It

  FIBR will address the opportunities created by the rapid spread of smartphones in developing countries to harness this...

By BFA GLOBAL
Why Silicon Savannah is Unsustainable, and What to Do About it
Inclusive Fintech |

Why Silicon Savannah is Unsustainable, and What to Do About it

By Jamie M. Zimmerman Since the 2010 release of early speculation that applications and other tech development and programming...

By BFA GLOBAL
The FIBR Launch Is Here

The FIBR Launch Is Here

The FIBR Launch will take place on Feb 25th, in Accra, Ghana. We will be joined by David Porteous,...

By BFA GLOBAL
Del Otro Lado (English)

Del Otro Lado (English)

By BFA GLOBAL
Payment APIs: What, Why, and for Whom?: An Introduction to Payment Interfaces & the Kenyan Market
Digital Financial Services |

Payment APIs: What, Why, and for Whom?: An Introduction to Payment Interfaces & the Kenyan Market

Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are a necessary component of a robust digital ecosystem, and critical to the health...

By BFA GLOBAL
De Fiado En Fiado (Spanish)

De Fiado En Fiado (Spanish)

By BFA GLOBAL
Estirando El Gasto (Spanish)

Estirando El Gasto (Spanish)

By BFA GLOBAL
Estirando El Gasto (English)

Estirando El Gasto (English)

By BFA GLOBAL
De Fiado En Fiado (English)

De Fiado En Fiado (English)

By BFA GLOBAL
The Journey Toward ‘Cash Lite’: Addressing Poverty, Saving Money and Increasing Transparency by Accelerating the Shift to Electronic Payments
Digital Financial Services |

The Journey Toward ‘Cash Lite’: Addressing Poverty, Saving Money and Increasing Transparency by Accelerating the Shift to Electronic Payments

Governments, the private sector, and the development community distribute billions in cash payments worldwide in the form of benefits,...

By BFA GLOBAL
Getting an education in rural Kenya: Findings based on the Kenya Financial Diaries

Getting an education in rural Kenya: Findings based on the Kenya Financial Diaries

By BFA GLOBAL
Can the digitization of micro insurance make all the difference? Assessing the growth potential of digital micro insurance
Digital Financial Services |

Can the digitization of micro insurance make all the difference? Assessing the growth potential of digital micro insurance

BFA Global co-authored this paper examines the use of technology in microinsurance and insurance sold through and with mobile...

By BFA GLOBAL
Cashlite report: Are we there yet? Rethinking the evolution of electronic payments in Kenya

Cashlite report: Are we there yet? Rethinking the evolution of electronic payments in Kenya

By BFA GLOBAL
Digital Retail Payments in Kenya: Making them Matter for Merchants
Digital Financial Services |

Digital Retail Payments in Kenya: Making them Matter for Merchants

How can we crack the nut of converting retail payments to digital form in Kenya?  How might providers deliver...

By BFA GLOBAL
Kenya Financial Diaries Executive Summary

Kenya Financial Diaries Executive Summary

By BFA GLOBAL
Kenya Financial Diaries Final Report

Kenya Financial Diaries Final Report

By BFA GLOBAL
Respondent Profile 2: Extreme savings and thrift

Respondent Profile 2: Extreme savings and thrift

By BFA GLOBAL
Respondent Profile 1: “Evelyn”: coping with chronic Illness

Respondent Profile 1: “Evelyn”: coping with chronic Illness

By BFA GLOBAL
Inclusion, Stability, Integrity, And Protection: Observations and Lessons for The I-Sip Methodology from Pakistan

Inclusion, Stability, Integrity, And Protection: Observations and Lessons for The I-Sip Methodology from Pakistan

This Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) study was conducted by a joint research team from CGAP, the...

By BFA GLOBAL
Electronic G2P Payments: Evidence from Four Lower-Income Countries
Digital Financial Services |

Electronic G2P Payments: Evidence from Four Lower-Income Countries

This CGAP Focus Note presents the evidence gained from a comprehensive study of the experiences in developing and implementing...

By BFA GLOBAL
Enabling mobile money policies in Tanzania: A “test and learn” approach to enabling market-led digital financial services
Digital Financial Services |

Enabling mobile money policies in Tanzania: A “test and learn” approach to enabling market-led digital financial services

Since 2008, Bank of Tanzania has taken a progressive approach to designing a regulatory framework that has greatly contributed...

By BFA GLOBAL
Correspondent Banking in Mexico’s Rural Areas: Lessons from a G2P Payment Digitization and Financial Inclusion Project
Digital Financial Services |

Correspondent Banking in Mexico’s Rural Areas: Lessons from a G2P Payment Digitization and Financial Inclusion Project

This paper studies the effect of payment digitization on the government-to-person (G2P) payment platform in Mexico. The main objective...

By BFA GLOBAL
Unlocking the Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Emerging Markets
Digital Financial Services |

Unlocking the Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Emerging Markets

This report is based on research by BFA Global for GSMA in partnership with Visa Inc. It offers insights on...

By BFA GLOBAL
Tembisa Small Business Financial Diaries: Key findings and recommendations

Tembisa Small Business Financial Diaries: Key findings and recommendations

By BFA GLOBAL
South African Financial Diaries and the Mzansi Initiative: Five Years Later

South African Financial Diaries and the Mzansi Initiative: Five Years Later

By BFA GLOBAL