Scale2Save Campaign
Micro savings, maximum impact.
Research findings from Uganda
This research was conducted by Scott Graham, Anahit Tevosyan and Nathaniel Mayende at FINCA International, together with Ester Agasha from the Makerere University Business School, Dr. Joeri Smits and Sally Yacoub. We wish to thank FINCA International and FINCA Uganda for their support throughout this project, especially James Onyutta, Ciprian Panturu, Alice Lubwama, Scovia Swabrah and Justine Nabawanuka. We are also grateful to the Scale2Save team, in particular Weselina Angelow, Anton Simanowitz, and Apphia Ndungu for their many contributions to this work, and to our partner, the Mastercard Foundation, whose sponsorship made it possible
One of the challenges of providing savings services to the unbanked is that many new customers fail to use the account beyond the initial deposit, a problem known as dormancy.
In our study, a low-cost coaching intervention produced significantly higher levels of account activity and use of banking agents, with stronger effects on women. The pattern of account usage reflects the role that formal savings plays in helping customers satisfy short- and medium-term cash needs. In qualitative interviews, women explained that coaching fostered a greater sense of trust and relationship with the bank, and that it encouraged them to set aside even small sums as a form of protection against an uncertain future.
Scale2Save
01/03/2023
The State of Savings and Retail Banking in Africa
The WSBI has conducted two research reports tracking the progress of retail and savings banks in their financial inclusion efforts across Africa (2018, 2019).
19/12/2022
What a journey it has been!
Between 2016 and 2022 Scale2Save financially included more than 1.3 million women, young people and farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal and
14/12/2022
The financial diaries revealed useful insights into young people’s savings, spending and income behavior
It examines their experience in respect to financial inclusion, support structures and opportunities for young entrepreneurs
15/11/2022
Application of CGAP Customer Outcomes Framework in Uganda
This case study by WSBI's Scale2Save programme applied the CGAP customer outcome indicator framework to test the impact of a new basic savings product positioned in the financial inclusion market and…
10/11/2022
Driving formal savings: What works for low-income women
Gender-inclusive products need to be designed with low-income women’s needs in mind. Yet, the real question remains: What services do female customers value, prioritize and need? This learning paper…
10/11/2022
Digital Financial Inclusion in Nigeria and Uganda: opportunities and remaining challenges
Earlier this year, the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WBSI) programme for financial inclusion, Scale2Save, through the support of the Mastercard Foundation
07/11/2022
Driving financial resilience through formal savings among the low-income population
WSBI and Centenary Bank signed recently a memorandum of understanding for a new Scale2Save project to help small-scale savings work in Uganda
30/09/2022
End Term Evaluation of the Scale2Save Programme
Scale2Save Programme created a lasting Legacy: 1.3 million more low-income women, farmers and youth are financially included on the African continent
27/09/2022
Different Strokes for Different Folks
A Customer Onboarding Comparative Analysis. This case study sets out, ab initio, to validate the dynamic nature of customer targeting and acquisition and the varying degrees of success that accompany…
14/09/2022
Savings and Retail Banking in Africa 2022
New 2022: WSBI survey of Financial Inclusion for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
