The digital credit landscape

James Ogada & Phillipa Hammond

SECTOR

Inclusive Finance

PROJECT TYPE

DOI

Location

Kenya | Nigeria | India

BEHAVIORAL THEME

Digital credit | Debt | Innovation
OVERVIEW

One of the most high-profile innovations in financial services in recent years has been the rise of digital credit, in which loans are applied for, distributed and/or repaid through digital means. Digital credit is a broad term which covers a range of products, and which are offered by a range of providers. Innovations in this space have been driven by mobile network operator-bank partnerships, new FinTech companies, traditional banks, MFIs and non-bank financial companies, and asset financing companies.

 

THEMATIC AREAS

This report seeks to understand what the impact of digital credit has been on its users, and the opportunity areas for stakeholders to shape the market. Based on qualitative research with end-users in Kenya, Nigeria and India, expert interviews with providers and domain experts, and a review of available literature, this report focuses on several key areas. To understand the impact of digital credit, this report focuses on the drivers of the cost of digital credit, the funding sources that providers use, the repayment structures on offer for consumers, the data used for decision-making, and the gender gap in digital credit uptake. This report then looks both at opportunity areas for protecting consumers from the downsides of digital credit, and opportunity areas for encouraging and shaping beneficial and transformative digital credit.