Digitization

Digital India

What measures can businesses, governments, and individuals take to make a smooth transition into the digital economy? Read this in-depth analysis by McKinsey that details the state of digitization in the country and the pace at which it is happening. 

Marks & Spencer Joins the Better Than Cash Alliance on International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day, Marks & Spencer (M&S) is joining the Better Than Cash Alliance to help advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

Testing the Waters: Digital Payments for Water and Sanitation

Water providers are shifting to digital payments to reduce expenses and streamline delivery. In this report, CGAP and GSMA share lessons learned from 25 organizations, including the challeng…

Cash usage behaviour and its implication for digital payments: A case of Ghana and Nigeria's smallholder cassava value chain

Education programs and awareness campaigns can help improve mobile money usage among smallholder cassava farmers in Nigeria and Ghana. Better agent network and incentives may help too. Read …

How digitized supply chain finance can help small merchants grow Toolkit

This guide is for institutions interested in developing a supply chain finance solution.

Using digital tools to grow africulture and financial inclusion in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a sole mobile network provider and a banking sector that is closed to foreign ownership. Does that make it easy for the government to take a rural-first approach to digitization? Learn about it more in this USAIDFeed The Future brief that also mentions the Alliance.

How UN organizations can boost their impact

In a new report, the Better Than Cash Alliance shows how improved digitization and harmonization can help UN agencies and partners make an even greater impact.

Is cash still relevant?

2018 highlights!

Here are highlights on how our global partnership ignited progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through shifting to digital payments.

Cash Digitization: UN Collaboration, Coordination, and Harmonization Opportunities

Cash Digitization: UN Collaboration, Coordination, and Harmonization Opportunities

New digitization study recommends strengthening cash assistance collaboration across UN agencies & partners, to improve coordination and harmonization.

Mobile banking in the government-to-person payment sector for financial inclusion in Pakistan

Through an interpretive case study of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in Pakistan, this paper critically examines mobile banking usage by women beneficiaries and technology’s effects on the institutional properties of their households.

Mobile Technology and Financial Service Bundling: A Structural Estimation of Mobile Money

The paper examines the effects of mobile money as financial technology and service innovation on consumer demand, connecting the effects to the fast evolving mobile technologies (from 1G to 4G).

Mobile Money and Financial Inclusion in the Papua New Guinea Resource Regions

This study investigates whether strengthening mobile money ecosystems around PNG’s resource regions can improve the distribution of compensation and benefits payments for local communities; Enhance social license for resources companies; and catalyze financial inclusion efforts.

Middle East and North Africa Economic Monitor, October 2018: A New Economy in Middle East and North Africa

This report lays out the principles for a new digital economy for MENA that embraces innovation and entrepreneurship, youth and women economic empowerment, rekindling the role of State, etc.

Mapping the Merchant's Mind: An Analysis of Digital Payment Behaviors by Fixed Store Merchants in Jaipur

A year and a half post demonetization, only about 5% of India’s ~60 million MSMEs own digital acceptance devices. This report provides a deeper context and recommendations on small business profiles, infrastructure, needs, behaviors, and perceptions.

Interoperability of Digital Finance in Bangladesh: Challenges and Taking-Off Options

The paper suggests a pragmatic approach for Bangladesh to financially include the underserved through Digital financial services (DFS) by promoting interoperability.

News and Trends in Fintech and Digital Microfinance: Why Are European MFIs Invisible?

This study shares some best practices in the use of digital technologies by highly innovative fintech firms in areas that could be of use to MFIs in context of Europe.

Next Steps for the Digital Revolution in Africa: Inclusive Growth and Job Creation Lessons from Kenya

This paper provides examples of how digitization in Kenya has supported the economy via a retail electronic payments system, financial inclusion, increased financial sector vibrancy, and pushed GDP growth with it.

Household finance and economic development

This chapter provides an overview of financial inclusion around the world and discusses the empirical evidence on how the use of formal financial services significantly contribute to inclusive growth and economic development.