Johannesburg, March 12, 2015
- IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and The MasterCard Foundation today launched a handbook on Alternative Delivery Channels and Technology. The handbook, produced in collaboration with Software Group, aims to help financial institutions successfully implement alternative delivery channel projects in order to further financial inclusion.
Greta Bull, Manager, Financial Institutions Group Advisory in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, said, “We have seen many of our clients struggle with implementing technology projects and produced this handbook for the benefit of other businesses considering employing alternative delivery channels to reach underserved markets. We hope this handbook will help facilitate the expansion of financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere.”
Alternative delivery channels, such as mobile and agency banking, offer increasing opportunities for financial services providers to expand beyond the traditional bank branch channel and to further financial inclusion. The handbook provides a set-by-step, practical guide to building alternative delivery channels that links technology choices with the overall business process.
Ann Miles, Director of Programs, Economic Opportunities for Youth & Financial Inclusion, The MasterCard Foundation, said: “The world of alternative delivery channels for financial service providers, with the wide range of technology platforms and device options, can be daunting. This is true particularly for those with limited technical capacity working in developing countries. We believe that this guidebook is an invaluable resource, which will help guide them in making the best decisions for their clients and their organizations.”
The handbook is a knowledge product of the Partnership for Financial Inclusion, a joint $37.4 million initiative by IFC and The MasterCard Foundation that aims to scale up commercial microfinance and develop mobile financial services to increase financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The handbook is available
online
and hard copies can be ordered by contacting Anna Koblanck on akoblanck@ifc.org.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
About The MasterCard Foundation
The MasterCard Foundation is an independent, global organization based in Toronto, Canada, with over US $9 billion in assets. Through collaboration with partner organizations in 57 countries, it is creating opportunities for all people to learn and prosper. The Foundation's programs promote financial inclusion and advance youth learning, mostly in Africa. Established in 2006 through the generosity of MasterCard Worldwide when it became a public company, the Foundation is a separate and independent entity. The policies, operations and funding decisions of the Foundation are determined by its own Board of Directors and President and CEO. For more information on the Foundation, please visit
www.mastercardfdn.org
.
About the Partnership for Financial Inclusion
The Partnership for Financial Inclusion is a joint initiative of IFC and The MasterCard Foundation to expand microfinance and advance mobile financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Partnership is also supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Development Bank of Austria (OeEB, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG),and collaborates with knowledge partners such as the World Bank and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, CGAP. For more information:
www.ifc.org/financialinclusionafrica
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