MSMEs have long been underserved by Brazil’s traditional banks, which charge high rates of interest and require a complicated credit application process. Without the financial tools to manage their expenses, grow their business, and weather financial shocks, these economic engines of Brazil are underutilized.
Client Stories
Kovi’s Innovative Auto Financing Model Helping to Drive Better Financial Health in Brazil
The dream of car ownership is often out of reach for many low-income individuals and other traditionally underserved groups in Brazil. Hurdles such as lack of minimum credit scores, proof of income, and high interest fees can restrict access to financial tools like automobile loans. Kovi, an auto… Read more
June 19, 2023
Microcredit, Microinsurance Help Female-Owned Bakery Business Cook up Sweet Treats in Morocco
Unable to obtain a loan for her business from a traditional bank due to insufficient credit history, Loubna Laqioud received her first loan from microfinance institution Arrawaj Foundation in 2013. She has received loans to purchase equipment and ingredients, as well as invest in marketing efforts… Read more
April 10, 2023
Moroccan Start-Up Chari Facilitating Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion for Mom-and-Pop Shop Owners
Payment services will act as a digital onramp to the estimated 200,000 small merchants in Morocco. This is important in a county where cash remains king. Read more
April 5, 2023
In Tanzania, Low-Cost Digital Insurance Protects Farmers
Smallholder farming in Tanzania has long been a risky enterprise. The hardworking farmers who raise many of the essential crops that feed their country and the world have traditionally run their enterprises on a shoestring budget, with limited capital for buying seeds and supplies, and little or no… Read more
November 3, 2022
Protecting Women’s Health by Digitally Transforming a System of Care
In Tanzania, expectant mothers are supposed to receive free, basic prenatal care through government programs. However, there are many gaps in the system, including supply-chain challenges, limited financing, and a lack of transparency and accountability. As a result, many women find that they must… Read more
November 3, 2022
SudPay’s Tax Collection Tool Improves Public Services, Expands Inclusion
As more people in Senegal and throughout Africa use mobile phones, tools like SudPay will be critical in helping local governments offer digital services, and connecting individuals with the financial services that can improve their lives. Read more
July 1, 2022
Innovative Insurance Products Help Farmers Guard Against Climate Shocks
For farmers in Senegal, a successful harvest largely depends on the amount of rain that falls during the growing season. More than two-thirds of the sector is entirely rain-fed, exposing smallholder farmers to a high level of volatility—a risk that has increased due to climate change. To help… Read more
June 30, 2022
In Senegal, myAgro Helps Farmers Save and Plan for the Future
When Badjane Diouf, a farmer in rural Senegal, was asked what her harvest is like since farming with myAgro, she shared that her harvest tripled from five bags of peanuts to 15 bags in her most recent growing season—enabling her to sell some of her harvest to save money and meet her family's food… Read more
June 28, 2022
Digital Finance Helps Rural Women Save and Grow Micro Businesses
In Côte d’Ivoire, as in many other low- and middle-income countries, low-income entrepreneurs often form small, informal groups to help members save money, access loans, and obtain emergency insurance. Since 2006, the international nonprofit organization CARE has been working in Côte d’Ivoire to… Read more
June 27, 2022
Wi-Agri’s Digital Platform Links Cashew Farmers with Buyers and Financing in Côte d’Ivoire
For the smallholder farmers who grow cashew nuts in rural Côte d’Ivoire, earning a steady living can be precarious. Many of them struggle to find buyers for their crops. Most of them are also unable to access loans and other financial services, making it difficult to save for the future or grow… Read more
June 24, 2022
Digital Financial Services Gives the Doughnut Business a Boost in Côte d'Ivoire
Guillaume Gnankou founded Gnank Inspiration, in the Abidjan neighborhood of M'pouto in 2017. Today, Miss Gnankou has grown that business to include one full-time employee and another part-time, two stalls, and offers the company's services online as well as with home deliveries through external… Read more
July 2, 2021
Move from Cash to Online Payments Helps Beauty Entrepreneurs Grow Business in West Africa
In charge of the technical and digital arm of e-commerce store Fabellashop, entrepreneur Felix Simaki decided to use PayDunya’s WebPay service to facilitate orders paid by credit cards and mobile money accounts. PayDunya is an online payments platform in Senegal founded in 2015 by four young tech… Read more
July 1, 2021
