摘要:Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in sub-Saharan Africa2
include a broad range of diverse and geographically
dispersed institutions that offer financial services to
low-income clients: non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), non-bank financial institutions, cooperatives,
rural banks, savings and postal financial institutions,
and an increasing number of commercial banks.
Overall, the sector in Africa is dynamic and growing.
While some large cooperatives date back to the 70s,
industry analysts have seen numerous institutions
emerge in the last eight years. These institutions
appear to serve the broad financial needs of their
clients. Unlike trends in most regions around the
globe, the majority of MFIs in Africa offer savings as
a core financial service for clients and use it as an
important source of funds for lending. By and large,
African MFIs are important actors in the financial
sector and it is important for industry analysts to
understand how the sector is evolving.