All Private Sector & Development magazine articles
Popular Shareholding in Africa, both a Political and Financial Tool
Popular shareholding in the context of Africa would seem doomed to failure, yet it has now become a major development area for African financial markets. This type of equity ownership seems to have me...
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Recent Evolution of the African Financial Markets
Financial markets play an important role in financing Africa's private sector. Their recent growth in strength is unquestionable despite the sudden standstill caused by the 2008 crisis: sixfold increa...
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The Economic Impact of the Development of Mobile Telephony: Results from a Case Study in Haiti
Haitian data confirm that mobile phone development acts as an engine for economic growth, what consequently brings a number of social benefits. However, a large part of the population remains excluded...
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Rebuilding a Shattered Nation: The Impact of Wireless Communication and Mobile Banking in Afghanistan
In an extremely difficult context – that of Afghanistan at war – mobile phones provide users with some basic services that are essential for the country's reconstruction. The explosion in the developm...
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The Impacts of the Mobile Phone Sector on Development: Mixed Results?
The expansion of the mobile phone sector in developing countries would appear to have obvious benefits. However, the conditions in which this takes place can sometimes be questioned. Deregulation in t...
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How to Succeed in Developing Countries for a Mobile Telephony Operator? The Case of Milicom
Some mobile phone operators invested in developing countries very early on, whereas profitability seemed to be uncertain. If such investments are to be profitable, it is necessary to respect some key...
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Mobile Phones, Markets and Firms in Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the use of mobile phones has positive impacts on the way local consumer goods markets operate. Indeed, a study conducted in Niger shows that mobile phones help reduce costs and...
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Mobile Telephony: A Transformational Tool for Growth and Development
The past 15 years have brought an unprecedented increase in access to telephone services in developing countries. This growth has been driven primarily by wireless technologies. Mobile phones have mad...
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The African Mobile Phone Market: Beyond the Boom Phase, Between the Promise and Uncertainty of Maturity
The growth of African mobile markets over the past decade has been dramatic and well documented. Its impact has been far-reaching, directly through large capital investments and the emergence of large...
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Microfinance: on the road to responsible finance?
Although serious abuses may be in the minority, the microfinance sector is not without flaws – or temptations. Some highly competitive markets put considerable pressure on costs to the detriment of se...
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How can a MFI manage to have a commercial status and still target “vulnerable” people as a core client group?
When loans are extended to “vulnerable” people, too many of them are left overindebted – this could lead to a highly risky credit crisis. If microfinance institutions need to develop into fully-fledge...
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Microfinance, an opportunity for socially responsible investment
Microfinance used to be seen as a simple development tool, but now provides private investors with attractive investment opportunities. It creates social benefits by helping to democratize access to f...
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The role of development finance institutions in good governance for microfinance
Development finance institutions, via their involvement in the sector, give microfinance greater access to private financing. They also play a decisive role in the governance of microfinance instituti...
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Striking a balance between affordable rates and satisfactory profitability in microfinance institutions
The interest rates charged by microfinance institutions (MFIs) are calculated on the basis of their financial situations and profitability targets. To make these rates more affordable for their low in...
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Managing the social performance of microfinance institutions
Microfinance is booming. Beyond financial performance, it is essential for the sector not to lose sight of its social objective. The most innovative MFIs are reacting quickly to the first cases of abu...
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Recent developments in the impact and mechanisms of microfinance
Microfinance has aroused widespread enthusiasm over the past 20 years. Its specific credit methodology (group solidarity, small loans, etc…) was thought to solve a number of informational problems on...
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What resources to finance the development of the microfinance sector?
Microfinance is booming and requires considerable additional funds. The equity of microfinance institutions (MFIs) needs to be strengthened; private investors – that invest when certain conditions are...
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Microfinance and non-financial services: an impossible marriage?
Microfinance institutions (MFIs) can - in addition to their classic products - develop non-financial services: vocational training, technical assistance, agricultural or health education. The comparat...
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Beyond PPPs: the World Economic Forum Water Initiative, a Multi-stakeholder Approach
The World Economic Forum’s public-private water initiative in South Africa and India showed that “Brokerage Networks”, involving stakeholders across all sectors, proved successful in conceptualising,...
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A New Generation of Public-Private Partnerships for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
There is a gradually rising trend in developing countries towards more professionally managed urban drinking water services as a result of delegation to private companies. The integration of a new gen...
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