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The Dos and Don’ts of Bank & Fintech Partnerships

The Dos and Don’ts of Bank & Fintech Partnerships

by 
Aswathi Krishnan
Oct 08, 2020

A virtual roundtable summary.

COVID-19 has created new challenges, which require new solutions and strategic partnerships between FinTech companies, Banks, and Non-Banks. The latest report from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Financial Services series explores how the intersections of...

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African woman sitting in front of computer analyzing data

Blog: Data Trends in Analytics, Risk, and Privacy in a Post-COVID 19 World

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Lesly Goh

Jul 31, 2020
The SME Finance Forum hosted a panel discussion on Data Analytics in SME Banking with esteemed speakers who shared their viewpoints from the private and public sectors. From the discussion, it was clear to see that the perspectives varied across different countries where our panelists work and live: • Buhle Goslar (JUMO) –Africa region and...
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Man in suit inserting a coin on a piggy bank with mask

The Evolving Collections and Risk Landscape

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Celine Bteish

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Gillette Conner

Jul 23, 2020
A virtual roundtable summary. More than four months have passed since the beginning of a global lockdown and only a few weeks since some countries have started to re-open. Yet uncertainty remains as the pandemic continues to burn through countries and even re-emerge in ones that seemed to have it under control. Looking to counter the unpredictable...
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piggy bank with glasses on books and a mask on the side

What we learned so far from our Virtual Roundtables on COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts

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Othman Abanmai

Jul 22, 2020
The SME Finance Forum is continuously working to share the knowledge and experiences of our members as one of our core activities (Learn, Link, and Lead). During the COVID-19 crisis, and as a global SME finance community, the Forum introduced a new virtual roundtable series as part of our commitment to support our members and partners. The...
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Woman in front of computer monitor point at the screen with legeng: Go Digital

The Importance of Going Digital for SMEs

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Othman Abanmai

Jul 21, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing businesses from retail, manufacturing and service providers to reevaluate their business models where the traditional “in-person” & “social” setting is the norm. As a result, businesses began to realize the need to incorporate a bigger portion of their business process with an innovative “contactless” method of...
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Member Pulse Survey #4 on the Impact of COVID-19 - July

Member Pulse Survey #4 on the Impact of COVID-19 - July

by 

Tarun Sridhar

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Matt Gamser

Jul 17, 2020
Once again, a significant number of members responded to our monthly pulse survey (76). We’d like to thank our members for their continued support! Last Thursday, at our Virtual Roundtable session, after the preliminary breakdown of the survey responses, we discovered that for the first time most respondents reported from Sub-Saharan Africa (26%)...
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Worker with hat and mask, with a artificial intelligence square image on his hands

Opportunities for growth within a “new normal”

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Gillette Conner

by 

Risa Suenaga

Jul 16, 2020
A virtual roundtable summary. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy is projected to suffer the sharpest contraction since the great depression of the 1930s. To forecast what is happening with the SME sector, we must look at the macro-economic picture. As part of a weekly webinar series on COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the SME Finance...
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Old man and young man with computer on a crop field

The perfect storm to accelerate the digital revolution for Agri SMEs

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Celine Bteish

Jul 10, 2020
A virtual roundtable summary. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, economies around the world have been shaken by supply chain disruptions in all sectors, and the agricultural sector is no exception. The effects of COVID-19 have been diverse and largely dependent on the extremity of a country’s lockdown as well as government interventions. As...
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Person lending money to a woman in Asia

Microfinance Institutions vs. COVID-19: The Real Asset Lies in the Global Networks

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Celine Bteish

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Marie-Sarah Chataing

Jul 08, 2020
A virtual roundtable summary. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create new challenges for MSMEs, global microfinance networks have been forced to rethink their approaches to microfinance and supporting SME clients. The largest microfinance networks work on several continents and serve millions of clients through partner organizations. Thus,...
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COVID-19: Digital Finance Models to the Rescue of SMES in Latin America

COVID-19: Digital Finance Models to the Rescue of SMES in Latin America

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Celine Bteish

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Marie-Sarah Chataing

Jul 04, 2020
A virtual roundtable summary. Latin America has become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brazil, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and other countries, the virus continues to spread quite aggressively. With this new reality, the region is facing numerous challenges to revive economies and SMEs have been deeply hit by the crisis. In this context...
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Indian woman smiling in front of a clothing store

Supporting Women-Led Rural Micro-Enterprises Through COVID and Beyond

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Aswathi Krishnan

Jul 01, 2020
COVID19 has significantly impacted micro, small, and medium businesses in India, and now more than ever it is important to address the growing need to upskill and adapt to the changing needs of the market. A recent discussion on women-led rural micro-enterprises was conducted by Badal Malick, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer, KarmaLife and...
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