Within Reach

Insights on how banks in

emerging economies can
grow profitably by being
more inclusive

Asia-Pacific Financial
Inclusion Summit 2015
Manila, October 28th 2015
 CARE and Accenture joined forces to understand what strategies
and capabilities enable banks to succeed with financial inclusion
The partners behind this study

Katherine Hughes
Finn Erik Kolnes
Financial Inclusion Programmes Officer
Senior Manager, Financial Inclusion lead
CARE International
Accenture Development Partnerships

Accenture Development Partnerships has spoken about CARE has been championing financial inclusion as a key
the convergence of interests between the commercial step towards achieving women’s economic empowerment
and development sector for more than five years for over 20 years

This is particularly relevant when it comes to Financial CARE is committed to substantially expanding the link
Inclusion. The industry will not drive successfully this on between the informal and formal financial services industry
their own; NGOs’ support will remain important and have a track record from successful partnerships

finn.erik.kolnes@accenture.com hughes@careinternational.org
© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.
 We took a structured approach interviewing 30 banks in
12 countries around their capabilities and focus on FI
About the research

1 2 3 4

Identify required Develop maturity Assess maturity of Synthesize six

capabilities model banks key insights

12 countries, 30 banks 9 capabilities, 100 questions

Leading
Business
Technology strategy
Latin America Africa Asia

Accessibility Operating
model
Financial Advanced
Inclusion
Commercial
Maturity Reporting,
MIS, data
viability Model manage-
ment

Basic
Regulatory & Business
compliance products
Corporate
social
responsibility

Trailing

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Banks included: private and public, commercial and retail, established market leaders and smaller institutions, international and indigenous.
 Many banks have opted out of targeting underbanked consumers.
Market changes should compel banks to rethink their position

Why should banks care?

2009 2030 • Economies in developing countries are growing rapidly and becoming more efficient
1. Rapidly and vibrant
growing x2,6
economies • Accenture estimates that this growth will give rise to a US$380 billion revenue
potential from banking the underbanked

Mobility

• Digital technology is enabling new forms of services, access and value propositions
2. Digital
with lower transaction costs.
innovation
Cloud • Digital innovation is catalyzing regulators and policymakers
Analytics

Interactive

3. No status • Digital is also a disruptive threat; hungry bank and nonbank competitors already
quo moving to capture the underbanked market

4. Banks • Banks in developing regions have the capital, potentially the brands, some of the
are well knowledge, and many of the capabilities
positioned • Still, the conditions for successfully addressing underbanked consumers are different
from those banks typically experience

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Though many banks are chasing opportunities, few banks are
including Financial Inclusion in a coherent corporate strategy

High level findings on financial inclusion strategies

• Most banks’ strategies contain

ambitions to target underbanked
consumers –but their motivations
differ

• Only 23 percent are truly aligning

their strategies to financial
inclusion (D)

• “Inclusive” strategies drive banks

towards commercially sustainable
business models with the potential
of reaching significant scale

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Our study identifies six key insights on how banks can
grow profitably by being more inclusive

1 Invest now or be left behind

Banks often take a short term view on investments; current revenue drivers
Value

Revenue are prioritized over low-income opportunities

Investment
• Make financial inclusion part of a coherent corporate strategy
• Establish a common understanding of the significant opportunity the risk
• Consider investments with longer payback horizons
Time

2 Get the products right by taking a new view on customer segments

Many banks are too basic in their “financial inclusion segmentation and are missing a
Women some of the most attractive opportunities

• Work with customers and NGOs to define segments at more granular levels and
Youth understand customer needs
• Develop segment-specific strategies, including services and channels
Micro-
• Optimize data management, expanding to capture and analyse on gender, age and
businesses
work information

4 Use savings and loan groups (SLGs) as an entry strategy

Some are very effective at reaching women and other underbanked

consumers through SLGs, though not always as part of mainstream business

• Nurture relationships with NGOs that can provide opportunities to connect at

scale with groups that are financially literate
• Use digital technologies to lower the risk, time and cost
• Engage group members, develop their financial literacy on the value of saving,
© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.
and help them appreciate the additional benefits of moving to formal accounts
CARE Case study: Easypaisa

• CARE partnered with Telenor and

Tameer Bank to establish mobile
banking structures in rural Pakistan.

• The initiative currently reaches

800,000 clients through Tameer’s
‘branchless banking’ facility.
GSMA:
• Formed part of broader ‘Cash for
“Partnering with the BISP and CARE
Work’ Programme for women to International was instrumental for Easypaisa to
work as Road Maintenance staff identify how best to serve women in Pakistan
and to provide financial services in a
• Salary disbursement through mobile transparent and efficient manner”
accounts has also positively
impacted women’s mobility: 11% Easypaisa won two awards at GSMA’s 2014
women felt they had more Global Mobile Awards: Best Mobile Product or
opportunity to go to the market. Service for Women in Emerging Markets and
Best NFC/Mobile Money Product or Service
© 2015 CARE International. All Rights Reserved. 7
In total, the report highlights report six key insights

1 2 3

Get the products right by taking a Start with payments and savings,
Invest now or be left behind then consider extending to credit
new view on customer segments

4 5 6

Use savings and loan groups as Find the right balance between physical Align the operating model to a
an entry strategy and digital channel capabilities financial inclusion strategy

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.

Conclusion:
Make financial inclusion a core business strategy

• The financial inclusion market presents banks with an

enormous opportunity worth $380 billion per annum of revenue

• Our analysis shows that a number of banks are already making

great strides in implementing the required capabilities

• However too few banks are fully exploiting these capabilities

and there are clear pointers to what is needed

• The great social opportunity to become an indispensable part of

improving the lives of customers every day is one that we
believe can be seized profitably!

• The window of opportunity may be closing and banks

should act now or risk being left behind

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved. 9

Our report “Within Reach” to be launched November 5th is part of
our wider agenda on inclusive banking –sign up to receive!

Our financial inclusion thought leadership

Why: “Billion Reasons to bank • Banks could generate over $380 billion from inclusive
inclusively “ banking

What: “Within Reach –insights on how • Only a few banks are aligning their strategies to address
banks in emerging economies can these markets in a commercially sustainable way
grow profitably by being more • By assessing 30 banks, we derive six key insights on for
inclusive“ banks to become successful at inclusive banking

How: “Seeking sustainable change – • Both incumbent and growing financial institutions face
how can financial institutions, barriers as organizations seek to explore and develop
professional services providers and the inclusive business models
development sector catalyse growth for • The report recommends on how to trigger and drive
underserved segments “ sustainable growth

© 2015 Accenture All Rights Reserved.