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The latest research, blog posts, articles, publications, videos and infographics across all our work.
This webinar covers strategies to improve digital payments in Tembisa and Hammanskraal, highlighting the challenges these communities face and detailing the planned interventions to overcome them.
Este guia resume as conclusões do estudo de diagnóstico para apoiar o desenvolvimento de programas específicos de género para a inclusão financeira das mulheres nestes corredores.
Cross-border remittances fuel livelihoods in the SADC region. This guide summarises key findings from the diagnostic study to support the development of gender-specific programmes for women’s financial inclusion in these corridors.
This report delves into the experiences of women in the South Africa to Lesotho corridor. It addresses crucial data gaps, aiding in targeted support for digital payments in Southern Africa.
This report delves into the experiences of women in the South Africa to Mozambique corridor. It addresses crucial data gaps, aiding in targeted support for digital payments in Southern Africa.
In the beginning, there was the bank account – a useful dispenser of transactional services. More recently, however, the financial services industry innovated and introduced mobile money as a disruptive financial service.
The South African informal sector is a vibrant thread, pulsating with entrepreneurial energy. Valued at almost $10 billion annually and representing 17% of the country’s total employment.
Formal financial and economic inclusion remains pivotal in addressing the rampant inequality in many African economies today.
The modern world has moved towards digitisation, yet a significant gap remains in terms of financial and economic inclusion, particularly in Africa. Despite this, there is a substantial opportunity to harness the power of data to bridge this gap.
How can we support those working in the informal sector?
This summary guide of the report on the state of the digital payments ecosystem in South African townships (Hammanskraal and Tembisa) shares key insights and recommendations from research conducted in 2022.
Provide an in-depth understanding of community needs and attitudes vis-à-vis financial services, digital services, community structures and support services.
This pocket guide highlights key findings from the market assessment of remittance flows into and out of South Africa using SARB data and a mystery shopping exercise looking at the costs of remitting via various channels, from South Africa.
FinMark Trust conducted a market assessment of remittance flows into and out of South Africa using SARB data and a mystery shopping exercise looking at the costs of remitting via various channels, from South Africa to other countries in the SADC.
Sharing what the latest prices across various channels are – and discussing some of the most prominent developments in the market with experts from the field.
South Africa and Eswatini Remittances Corridor Diagnostic, this report is a compilation of research findings to inform the implementation of the IFAD’s Financial Inclusion and Cluster Development (FINCLUDE) programme in Eswatini.
Although women’s achievements, resilience and innovations exhibited during the Covid-19 pandemic are worth acknowledging, women continue to face various barriers.
This blog shares updates on the launched Income Relief Fund for Migrants to provide short term relief to SADC migrants and their families with support from FCDO
This scoping study has been conducted to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable affordable digital delivery and access to basic services in Botswana.
This scoping study has been conducted to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable affordable digital delivery and access to basic services in Malawi.
This scoping study has been conducted to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable affordable digital delivery and access to basic services in Eswatini.
This scoping study has been conducted to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable affordable digital delivery and access to basic services in Madagascar.
This scoping study has been conducted to identify the barriers and opportunities to enable affordable digital delivery and access to basic services in Lesotho.
The UK has announced a new package to reach 750 000 people in 8 countries across Southern Africa helping communities worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limited support has been provided for economic migrants who send money home to support family members. See what support has been created for migrants in South Africa.
Across the continent there has been a very long debate about the payment of interest on mobile money. What has the experience been like in Zimbabwe?
In South Africa to the rest of SADC, Remittance Pricing report, presented are the findings from a mystery shopping exercise
Informal remittance markets in many countries are well established but often expose the remitter to delays and the risk of theft and other losses.
Read more on the research findings on cross border remittances from South Africa to the rest of SADC 2020.
South Africa’s informal savings market thrives – R44 billion collectively saved in approximately 820,000 stokvels.
This report focuses on how FinMark Trust support in innovation that drives impact and enables marginalised communities to work towards sustainable livelihoods through financial inclusion.
Applying the Risk-Based Approach – Undertaking AML/CTF Risk Assessment of low-value remittance and banking products and services in South Africa
While financial inclusion has risen to 68% globally, Sub Saharan Africa continues to lag with only 32% of its citizens having an account at a financial institution.
The Shoprite cross-border money remittance product reached the R1 billion mark in January 2019
In mid-July, FinMark Trust and Bankable Frontiers Associate (BFA) set off to Malawi to conduct a feasibility study of the potential of a digital financial identity
The feasibility assessment aimed to provide recommendations on the use cases of domestic financial inclusion the digital financial ID
The current economic situation in South Africa presents a large number of people relying on the informal economy,
Watch our video where we speak to four of our beneficiaries to hear how our work in KYC, remittances and the risk-based approach are actually making a difference
The aim of the project is to develop Mobile Money guidelines to assist SADC Member States with principles to facilitate the harmonisation
The DRC has a long standing history of migrant flows, and historically flows to and from Europe have been of particular importance.
The DRC has a long standing history of migrant flows, and historically flows to and from Europe have been of particular importance.
The current global remittance market is estimated to be in the region of USD 500 billion annually and is expected to grow in future.
SADC migrants in South Africa remit approximately R16.6 billion home annually.
Access to formal remittance services is difficult for many migrants because of the onerous documentation requirements.
The research report study focused on the factors that drove the termination of mobile money services in South Africa.
This report was commissioned by FinMark Trust and carried out through Genesis to assess the cost of cross-border remittances in South Africa.
Remittance markets comprise both a commercial opportunity for financial sector operators, and an important means of supporting impoverished communities.
A quarter of South Africans rely on social grants and the grant allows millions to access formal financial services.
This report provides an update on the available money transfer offerings that facilitate remittance flows from South Africa to other countries in SADC.
This paper presents a cross-country comparison of mobile money ownership and its determinants together with the factors affecting mobile money adoption.
See the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (FICA) Act: Pre-implementation Study in South Africa report.
Over the past five years, the move towards digital financial services and simplified account opening procedures has improved the take-up of accounts by the poor.
The first step in a long journey towards a harmonised legal and regulatory framework for payments in the SADC.
It is well known that there are large remittance flows from South Africa to other countries in the SADC region and that a substantial proportion of such flows are informal
The focus of this study was to gain insight into remittance behaviour and patterns of the SADC migrant population
See the South Africa-SADC remittance channel report here.
FinMark Trust commissioned a research report that provided, amongst other findings, an initial estimate of the size of the SADC remittance market.
The study aimed to sketch the landscape of retail payment services in South Africa that have a positive impact on financial inclusion
Understanding the last mile in cross-border money transfers from South Africa to Zambia.
This focus note highlights our experience as 'mystery shoppers'; presents pricing data collected from banks, the Post Office and SWIFT.
See the report on retail payment systems and models in South Africa.
Understanding the last mile in cross-border money transfers from South Africa to Zambia
Rural finance presentation on The State of Rural and Agricultural finance in SADC Initial findings.
The Mzansi account is an entry-level bank account, based on a magnetic stripe debit card platform, developed by the South African banking industry
The objective of this study is to investigate the landscape for recourse in South Africa's financial services sector
The intra-SADC remittance market is estimated to comprise at least R6.2bn in annual cross-border flows (or approximately US$1bn).
Much has been said about the potential for cell phone banking as it rides on the back of the explosion of cell phone usage in Africa