Our insights

SCBF has supported 25 projects across six West African countries with a focus on agriculture, resilience, and women’s empowerment. In 2023, MicroSave Consulting conducted a study capturing key insights and client experiences from these initiatives. Despite implementation challenges, the projects are generating meaningful impact on the ground. Here’s a short film showcasing the real-life stories and outcomes from SCBF-supported projects in Mali, Benin, and Togo.

Swiss Re has been a valuable partner in SCBF’s work, co-funding 10 projects across Africa and Asia to build resilience in low-income communities. One such project provides weather index-based insurance to smallholder farmers in India, helping protect them from crop loss due to weather adversities. Swiss Re Foundation's impact story showcases how this collaboration is reaching the last mile and supporting vulnerable farmers.

Impact-linked Finance (ILF) is transforming how we approach inclusive finance and sustainable investing. By linking financial rewards to measurable social outcomes, ILF enables high-impact enterprises serving low-income communities to scale sustainably while staying true to their mission. In this blog, we explore how ILF is shaping the future of impact finance - and how SCBF is actively embracing this innovative approach.

Swiss Re Foundation has been a strategic partner since 2021, although Swiss Re's collaboration with SCBF dates back to 2012. Together, they have co-funded 10 impactful projects across six countries in Africa and Asia, with a focus on health and parametric insurance. This partnership has led to significant positive outcomes, which are highlighted in a compendium of achievements compiled by SCBF.

The blog underscores the critical need for bold climate action at COP28 and emphasizes how inclusive finance, through initiatives like those by SCBF, can play a pivotal role in fostering climate resilience, especially for underserved communities. It demonstrates the potential of tailored financial solutions in supporting both climate mitigation and adaptation, helping to build a sustainable, climate-friendly economy.

The blog discusses a project in Mozambique, where SCBF partnered with Accion and Socremo MicroBanco to enhance financial inclusion for low-income individuals by digitizing savings products. The "Vitamina" savings product was upgraded, integrated with mobile wallets, and offered self-service options. The project also addressed challenges like customer trust and adoption through ongoing engagement and collaboration.

This blog highlights a project in Mali supported by SCBF that strengthens women-led Self-Help Groups (Yeredeme) to foster financial empowerment and community development through savings, microloans. With support from CAMIDE and Bɛnso Jamanu, the initiative enhances sustainability by forming federations, promoting income-generating ventures, and fostering peer-led learning.

The blog showcases how Annapurna Finance, with support from Accion and SCBF, is empowering young entrepreneurs in India by improving access to finance and digital tools. It highlights efforts to enhance Annapurna’s Customer Engagement Platform to better serve tech-savvy clients and promote digital financial inclusion among underserved youth facing unemployment.

This blog by Amit Gupta and Aditya Agarwal highlights how Annapurna Finance, supported by Accion and SCBF, fast-tracked its digital shift during COVID-19 by developing a Customer Engagement Platform. The platform improves communication with clients via direct digital channels and aims to ensure accessible, relevant digital experiences across customer segments with varying digital literacy.