POVERTY ACTION CENTRE

The Sub-Saharan microfinance sector is one of the largest in the world, encompassing over 1,000,000 institutions, including community banks, rural banks, cooperatives and credit unions. Despite the scale, more 70% of the adult population in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to financial services, mainly in rural areas and urban slums.

PAC also promotes pro-poor models to other MFIs interested in working on the microfinance market. Best practices and tools will be documented and disseminated through newsletter, website and conferences.

Managed by a team within the Financial Inclusion Advocacy Centre, PAC fuses its resources with donor support to provide direct services to up to 500 pro-poor MFIs in the next five years. It will build market awareness among all MFIs about viable pro-poor products and approaches to increase overall service to underserved market segment. Eventually, effective and sustainable MFI financial services are hoped to lift millions of Africans living in abject poverty.