Philanthropy Action

Category: Emerging Markets Investing

There are 28 entries in this category.

Feb 26, 2009

Mobile Cash Transfers Pose Threat to Banks

In December of last year, a group of banks reportedly lobbied the Kenyan finance minister to audit M-Pesa, a mobile funds transfer service offered by the telecommunications firm Safaricom, in an effort to have the service shut down.

Dec 03, 2008

Cell-Phone-Assisted Development Gets a Real Boost

A recent study of cell phone use by grain traders in Niger adds evidence that cell phones can have a strongly positive development impact by improving information flow in markets. As a result buyers see lower average prices, while sellers get higher average prices. Nokia’s introduction of a low cost handset and Internet service in India may be one of the most promising development initiatives, public or private, of the late 2000’s. 

Nov 21, 2008

Interview: Roger Frank of Developing World Markets on the Credit Crisis and Microfinance

Attention in the financial markets has been focused on the struggles of developed world institutions. To date, there hasn’t been much coverage of the impact of the financial crisis on microfinance—either on the flow of new capital to microfinance or the impact on MFIs that have borrowed money in hard currency while making loans in local currencies. Roger Frank is a partner at Developing World Markets, an investment banking and asset management firm specializing in microfinance, and has a front-row seat as the credit crisis increasingly impacts emerging market countries and microfinance. Roger spoke with Philanthropy Action recently about how the credit crisis is affecting investors and MFIs.

Nov 12, 2008

Financial Access and What the Poor Really Want

Campaigners for financial inclusion for the poor may be barking up the wrong tree by criticizing high-fees charged by informal financial services. Evidence suggests that fees charged by formal institutions are often higher in practice than in theory and are difficult to understand. Users of the informal services also seem to place a much higher importance on convenience than on cost. Lowering and simplifying fees and making services from formal institutions more convenient may have a much larger impact than fighting payday lenders.

Oct 17, 2008

Entrepreneurs and Microlenders

As the current global credit crisis illustrates in part, it is very difficult for lenders to determine what makes an individual, much less a small business, a good risk.

Sep 05, 2008

The Road to Carbon Neutrality

The story of how a small agricultural Danish island became a net exporter of wind energy is compelling. And it may serve as a model which others can follow.

Jul 16, 2008

An Emerging Markets Cellular Behemoth Means Opportunity

A company the size of a merged MTN and Reliance Communications would have the potential to make capital investments in infrastructure that could drive faster subscriber growth in emerging geographies. A larger and more exciting possibility is the possibility of using cellphones to dramatically lower the cost of small transactions.

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