The journey

2000

WSBI's research 'Perspectives' lay out global barriers to access to finance and explain how the savings and retail banking network help overcome them.

Main achievement:

1.3billion

accounts were offered globally through the WSBI network at the time.

2008 - Doubling Savings Accounts programme

A seven-year global partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to drive massive outreach in 10 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Main achievement:

2.2million

new and active savings account customers

4.5million

savers reached

Over30,000

village groups linked up through mobile technology

2,250

service points connected digitally

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2015 - Coalition partner

WSBI becomes a coalition partner of the Worldbank Group’s Universal Financial Access Agenda (UFA 2020) committing to 400 million new transaction accounts through the WSBI network.

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Main achievement:

1.733billion

WSBI achieves its UFA commitment in 2018 with 1.733 billion accounts.

2016 – Launch of Scale2Save

Scale2Save starts operating as a six-year partnership with the Mastercard Foundation in six countries in Africa to drive customer centric solutions for 1 million customers and becomes a partner in the Mastercard Foundation Savings Learning Lab led by Itad.

Main achievement:1.3million
• Women, youth and farmers benefit from customer centric solutions and can make better use of financial services and, savings in particular
• 12 unique business models tested with a broad range of financial services, viability of low balance savings proven
• 100+ publications put out including sector and customer research
• Collaboration with wide array of national sector players

2018

Scale2Save launches its annual ‘State of the Savings and Retail Banking sector in Africa’ research series to look at the quality of savings and causes of account inactivity and dormancy.

2020

Scale2Save starts looking at better metrics for savings as part of the e-MfP led action group.

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2022

Scale2Save becomes a standalone brand supporting the WSBI network of socially committed partner banks in contributing to job creation and business growth, financial and climate resilience, as well as to the empowerment of the most vulnerable customer groups