South africa

Governance of Social Protection for Informal Sector Workers in Asia

This report covers overview and constraints of setting up a social protection system for informal workers in Asia. It also includes interesting case studies of some Asian countries including Bangladesh, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Microfinance and Poverty Reduction: Is Social Protection the Missing Link?

The paper highlights that existing literature largely overlooks recent developments in the arena of social protection that are impacting financial needs of the poor and discusses some empirical findings from three Indian states.

Balancing financial inclusion and data protection in South Africa: Black Sash Trust v Minister of Social Development

The participation of many underprivileged social clusters in the financial services sector has invariably been problematic in South Africa. This may be attributed to the country’s laws and p…

Pushing the Limits of Innovation, Improving Social Protection and Livelihoods in Cote d'Ivoire

World Bank joined hands with IFC on a project for digitizing and modernizing Côte d’Ivoire’s social protection payments. Results show a reduction in administrative costs and better targeting of beneficiaries.

The state of social assistance in Africa

The UNDP report analyzes the recent growth across three foundational dimensions of social assistance in the continent - legal frameworks, institutions and financing.

Data Privacy and Protection: Guidance Note to Kenya’s Digital Financial Services

This guidance note highlights how Kenya’s innovation and fintech ecosystem can comply with data protection laws while keeping the customer in mind.

Did you see my tweet?  

This FSD Kenya analysis demonstrates the utility of social media (Twitter) analytics tools for monitoring discussions around consumer protection. 

State of Maryland: Significant savings and improved convenience with electronic payments

The State of Maryland needed a faster, more reliable and more cost effective way of making unemployment benefit payments to citizens who depended on them.

The State’s original process was…

Liberian Teacher ePayments: Stepping Stones to Inclusion

This blog, focussing on case of Liberia, discusses how digital payments are improving government service delivery and leading to higher take-home pay and improved transparency.

Fintech for Financial Inclusion: A Framework for Digital Financial Transformation-A Report to the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)

The paper outlines potential for growth for FinTech for financial inclusion while emphasising on the need for regulatory approaches , citing some successful cases from India , Kenya and China.

The Impact of Formal Savings on Salaried Workers’ Spending and Borrowing in Eastern Ghana

This J-PAL study looks at the impact of commitment savings linked to electronic salary payments. While the results varied for different users, the research highlights the importance of using…

Financial inclusion, a driver of state building in India and Mexico?

This article situates latest trends within the evolution of Indian and Mexican social policies and discusses how on one hand financial inclusion policies allow vulnerable populations to access new rights while resulting in new ways of controlling consumer behavior.

The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers?

With 1.5 billion people covered globally, food and voucher programs provide an important lifeline for the poor and vulnerable. The study – The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers or …

Bridging the Digital Divide and Supporting Increased Digital Trade: Scoping Study

The global economy is experiencing important technological shifts, with the rise of digital technology a key driver. This can be seen today in the rapid growth of the digital economy, broadl…

Branchless banking: Evaluating the doorstep delivery of financial services in rural India

This paper evaluates the effect on household savings of India’s recent financial inclusion drive, a drive that generated an unprecedented increase in access to financial institutions by usin…

Why Do Defaults Affect Behavior? Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan

We report on an experiment examining why default options impact behavior. By randomly assigning employees to different varieties of a salary-linked savings account, we find that default enro…

Mobile banking: A potential catalyst for financial inclusion and growth in Pakistan

This paper traces the history of mobile banking in Pakistan, studies various models of mobile banking and assesses its current state.

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.

Management of Mobile Financial Services—Review and Way Forward

The paper provides an extensive literature review of the existing global MFS industrya and discusses key learning and recommendations based on insights from ‘Easypaisa’ in Pakistan.

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.