On 10 December, AFI’s Digital Financial Services Working Group (DFSWG) held an online workshop, exploring the potential of offline digital financial services to advance financial inclusion.

The workshop, moderated by DFS Working Group Co-Chair, Tsolmontuya Bold from Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia, explored the role of inclusive digital infrastructure in enabling offline DFS, the role of regulation and policy in supporting its adoption, and how offline services can promote financial inclusion and a more robust financial ecosystem.

The workshop featured expert input from Kennedy Kipkemboi Sawe, Public Policy & Advocacy Director of Mobile Money at GSMA, Brian Muthiora, Executive Head of Mobile Financial Policy & Regulation at Vodacom, and Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking at Ecobank Group. Discussions covered services which are designed to operate without an internet connection by leveraging technologies such as USSD and SMS, as well as services that are generally internet-reliant but can also function in limited or disrupted connectivity.

You can watch the webinar below, and learn more about AFI’s Digital Financial Services Working Group on its webpage.