Dear members,

Another year is coming to an end, and we would like to thank you for following and supporting us through visiting our website and reading the publications and events. We would like to conclude this 2016 with the topics of impact investment and digital finance. Our first highlight is a study on impact investment in Africa, entitled Investing in Africa’s development: how impact can contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. According to this study, published by Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) and the Foundation for International Development Study and Research (FERDI), impact investment offers a wide range of growth opportunities and represents an innovative and efficient answer to the development challenges of the continent. The study also presents the main characteristics of impact investors and how they can contribute to solve development challenges; the landscape of impact investment and how impact investment can contribute to meeting the SDGs in Africa grouped into eight main SDG investment areas, among which is agriculture, and where the private sector can play a key role.

Second highlight is a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute on Digital finance for all: Powering inclusive growth in emerging economies. This report draws on the findings of field visits to seven emerging economies: Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan and more than 150 expert interviews. The research finds that widespread adoption and use of digital finance could increase the GDPs of all emerging economies by 6 percent, or a total of $3.7 trillion, by 2025. Stakeholders across these countries would benefit in terms that around 1.6 billion unbanked people could gain access to formal financial services, out of which more than half would be women. Also, an additional $2.1 trillion of loans to individuals and small business could be made as providers expand their deposit bases and have a newfound ability to assess credit risk for a wider pool of borrowers. The resulting increase in aggregated demand could create nearly 95 million new jobs across all sectors. However, to achieve this opportunity joint effort by business and government leaders is needed.

Finally, Africa Finance and Investment Forum (AFIF) 2017 will take place in the vibrant city of Nairobi, Kenya from 13-17 February, 2017. This forum will gather over 300 decision makers linked to Africa’s financial services and the continent’s SME sector. This edition will focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and access to finance in agriculture and other key sectors. For more information and registration, click here.

We wish you all the best in New Year!

The RFILC editorial team