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 and services for people living in poverty in Africa is a challenge for many financial service providers. Yet some have forged ahead, using alternative delivery channels (ADCs) to expand their presence, garner new clients, and improve the daily lives of disadvantaged people.

BFA Global worked with the Foundation and its partners to explore key questions about the effectiveness and impact of alternate delivery channels. This review, conducted in the first half of 2016, consolidates emerging lessons. The report demonstrates what these pioneer organizations have learned about the effectiveness and impact of alternate delivery channels, and what that might mean for the goal of Universal Financial Inclusion by 2020. We hope that it will generate reflection, curiosity and useful application for the benefits of consumers and financial service providers alike.