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How COVID-19 has affected digital payments to merchants in Kenya

This is clearly an unprecedented time. Over the past few months, the world has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen health systems burdened and unable to cope with the rising numbers of infected people.

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Economic prospects for Kenya in the context of the COVID-19 crisis

The infection rate of COVID-19 is as yet low in Kenya, but the economic consequences are already biting.

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Blogs and publications

Case study: The future of government-to-person (G2P) payments: Innovating for customer choice in Kenya

In 2018, Kenya’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection launched the newest phase of its social safety net programme Inua Jamii with an audacious goal: provide all beneficiaries with a full bank account and offer them a choice among four financial services providers.

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Corona case studies: Lost without church

Vera (45) lives in an informal settlement in Mombasa.  Usually it is just her at home these days.

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Will COVID-19 make or break community-based finance?

A big question amidst the current COVID-19 has been, how are community-based finance models fairing?

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Opportunities beyond Covid-19: It’s time for Kenya to nurture a fully digital economy

The recent months have been quite surreal for many across the globe.

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“Our love has grown more”

Coronavirus disruptions are giving some Kenyan woman a reprieve from domestic burdens and giving couples a chance to change their marriages

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If the coronavirus doesn’t kill you…

Kenyans’ reflections on security in the time of Covid-19

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Shamba bora (fertile farmland), Shamba la mawe (rocky farmland)

Urban and rural areas are coping to the coronavirus disruptions in different ways

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Corona case studies: Should I stay, or should I go?

Considering urban to rural migration as urban incomes dwindle

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Corona case studies: Kibarua crunch

William lives in a small house in an informal settlement in Mombasa.  When we saw him last in 2015, he had recently married his girlfriend. 

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Corona case studies: Mountains beyond mountains

Kenyan families are trying to cope with perpetual strain

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The costs of coping with Coronavirus

Not only are Kenyans losing their incomes right now, they are also facing increased costs

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The ultimate stress test for financial resilience

How coronavirus adaptations are straining Kenyans’ most robust financial coping mechanisms

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Corona case studies: “If I had food, I would close the shop”

Millicent, 44, and Amos, 45, live in Eldoret with their 17-year-old daughter.  Amos has been working as a matatu driver and bus conductor for many years.  Millicent ran a small restaurant during the Diaries, but is now selling plastic wares from a small Mali Mali shop and knitting sweaters, which she sells mostly at back-to-school time.

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Weathering the COVID-19 storm: How will Kenyans cope?

The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the resilience of governments, health systems, large companies, small businesses and families worldwide.

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Predicting the propensity to succeed among Kenyan “Hustlers”

Shujaaz Inc. is a Kenyan communications research and production company. Formerly called Well Told Story, the company is the producer of “Shujaaz,” an award-winning media platform that provides open spaces – including online platforms – for youth to discuss personal and societal issues often considered sensitive or taboo within their communities.

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The art of cultivating youth skills and employment

This is the second blog in a three-part series on youth employment and skill-based work.

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Becoming business people: What we can learn about development initiatives from Northern Kenya

Laisamis is a settlement in Marsabit County in the Northern part of Kenya towards the Ethiopian border.

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How can inclusive finance help in a pandemic?

We were huddled in a routine team discussion at FSD Kenya when we received news of the first confirmed Covid-19 case in Kenya.  Like many others, we wondered what this might mean for our work, our families and our country in the days ahead.

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Consumer insights
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What we learned from providing unsecured trade credit to small rural pharmacies

The inability of low-income households to access quality healthcare is a major challenge in dealing with unanticipated shocks. The challenge is bigger for rural households. Small rural pharmacies stock almost entirely generic medicines because these are the products that patients can afford. 

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Blogs and publications

Reflections from Sierra Leone: Investment in social protection provides an inclusive pathway to development

During a recent visit to Sierra Leone, I was fascinated by the country’s rich history, friendly people and the beautiful beaches of the Freetown peninsula, with miles and miles of white sand – albeit almost empty.

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Consumer Protection
Blogs and publications

Financially underserved Kenyans and their market potential: A segmentation study

This segmentation study identifies Kenyans whose financial needs are not adequately met by the solutions available in the financial market, as well as the untapped opportunities they offer to financial service providers. The study was conducted by FSD Kenya and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), using data from FinAccess 2019.

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FSD Kenya’s new horizons for more inclusive finance

Today, I am honoured to represent FSD Kenya at the UK Africa Investment Summit in London. I am inspired by the potential of the entrepreneurs, investors, government officials and civil society organisations who are full of ideas, solutions, and drive to leverage connections and learning across the continent to grow Africa’s economy and wellbeing.

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FinAccess
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Exploring the links between finance, technology and growth in Kenya

Starting with microcredit in the late 1980s, there has been a growing movement of multilateral institutions, private foundations, non-profits, corporations and governments that aims to provide formal financial services to low-income market segments around the world.

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Consumer insights
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Focus note: Digital credit in Kenya

Since the launch of M-Shwari in 2012, the number of digital lenders and loans disbursed has grown substantially. Advances in credit scoring, few regulatory barriers and the widespread use of mobile phones and mobile money have enabled growth of the digital lending industry, giving borrowers a quick and convenient option for credit.

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Publications
Blogs and publications

Cost of banking 2019

This report is the second in a series of studies that measure the cost of banking services in Kenya. It follows the first report that was released in 2017 and constitutes a complementary element in the measurement of the financial inclusion landscape in Kenya.

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Blogs and publications

Provider, Platform, Product: Which ‘P’ should regulators target?

Technology has changed how services are developed and delivered to customers. Regulators are hard-pressed to figure out how to respond, what to regulate, and what to leave aside.

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Blogs and publications

5th FSD Kenya Public annual lecture 2019 – Reflections

On November 19, FSD held its annual lecture where David Ferrand shared his insights in a lecture titled ‘Financing Kenya: 2020 hindsight for Vision 2030’.

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