Bridging the Gap of Financial Inclusion in DRC

The document describes a project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where FSD Africa and Equity BCDC implemented an agency banking model to reach rural and peri-urban populations. By deploying over 5,000 agents and utilizing a 'Master Agency' strategy to overcome KYC documentation barriers, the initiative opened over 650,000 new accounts. The project also integrated renewable power and internet connectivity for rural agents and developed micro-loan scoring tools to facilitate capital access for previously excluded populations.

• The Democratic Republic of Congo faces significant financial exclusion, with approximately 70% of adults lacking access to formal financial services and an estimated 62% of the population living on less than $2 per day.
• Equity BCDC implemented a 'Master Agency' strategy, branded as Equity BCDC Express, to bypass KYC (Know Your Customer) challenges caused by a lack of identification and supporting documentation.
• The agency banking programme established a network of more than 5,000 agents across 18 of the DRC's 26 provinces, resulting in the opening of over 650,000 new accounts in rural and peri-urban areas.
• To enable account opening in rural areas via web-based solutions, Equity BCDC partnered with the private sector to provide agents with internet connectivity and renewable power sources.
• The initiative expanded financial services beyond savings by developing a micro-loan scoring tool and piloting group lending to provide clients with access to capital.

APA

Inc, K. (2024). Bridging the Gap of Financial Inclusion in DRC. FSD Africa. https://fsdafrica.org/bridging-the-gap-of-financial-inclusion-in-drc/

Chicago

Inc, Kihingu. Bridging the Gap of Financial Inclusion in DRC. FSD Africa, 2024. https://fsdafrica.org/bridging-the-gap-of-financial-inclusion-in-drc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Inc |first1=Kihingu |title=Bridging the Gap of Financial Inclusion in DRC |publisher=FSD Africa |date=7 June 2024 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/bridging-the-gap-of-financial-inclusion-in-drc/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{inc2024bridging, author = {Inc, Kihingu}, title = {{Bridging the Gap of Financial Inclusion in DRC}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/bridging-the-gap-of-financial-inclusion-in-drc/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }