Nathan is pleased to announce the launch of the fourth round of the Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF). Established in 2014, the Fund is a competitive, transparent fund that provides matching grant finance for innovative, inclusive business projects proposed by the private sector operating in Malawi, which have the potential to deliver significant social impact. … Read More
When supported by sound policies and strong institutions, private enterprise is the primary engine of inclusive, pro-poor growth. Robust systems of private enterprise — where businesses of all sizes are encouraged to thrive and grow — create good jobs and … Read More
A rapidly expanding ICT sector will create many career opportunities for Burma (Myanmar) youth. USAID is helping them gain enthusiasm for the sector through hands-on experience. This includes designing, programming, and building robots, then matching skills with those of peers … Read More
Nathan has worked closely with leading law firms in India to undertake competition assessment for various mergers and acquisitions in India. Our assessment included understanding the industry including demand and supply as well as the relevant regulation influencing the industry, … Read More
Malawi remains one of the least developed countries in the Sub-Saharan region, with a GDP per capita of $260. It ranks 153 of the 169 countries, according to UNDP Human Development Indicators. The economy remains highly dependent on agriculture, which … Read More
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank Group, commissioned an end-of program evaluation of the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF), an 8 year fund with two halves of operation. The first which took place prior to … Read More
Nathan Associates will implement a five-year program to increase broad-based economic opportunities in Burma (Myanmar) through more inclusive economic governance rules and processes and by increasing access to finance for businesses, individuals, and other emerging economic actors. The $23.3 million … Read More
Facilitating inclusive finance in Africa
The Fund for Rural Prosperity aims to improve agricultural productivity by enabling farmers and others in rural Africa to access and use the banking system: farmers need to be able to open savings accounts in order to create a reserve, buy affordable insurance to protect against unforeseen harm, and borrow at the right time in order to invest in agricultural improvement.
So far financial service providers have largely ignored smallholder farmers and others living in rural Africa, either because of distances involved, low population densities or the perception that poor people have little disposable income. However when smallholder farmers and others living in rural areas are able to access financial products or services specifically designed for their needs, they embrace and use them, giving financial service providers new clients who may remain with them for life, and who ultimately can have a positive impact on the bottom line. Meanwhile obstacles of distance and low population density can be addressed with the smart use of emerging technologies.
To accelerate the process, in 2014 The MasterCard Foundation launched a $50m challenge fund, The MasterCard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity, running two competitions per year over three years, in 24 countries. One competition seeks innovative ideas for bringing affordable and appropriate financial products and services to rural Africa. The second supports the scaling up of these ideas once proven.
Nathan is supporting KPMG in the implementation of this programme, which aims to enable approximately one million financially excluded people access to financial services in rural and agricultural areas.… Read More
Incentivising innovations in the logistics sector to foster pro-poor trade in the East African Community
Informal business in the retail sector in East Africa is estimated to represent between 70% and 80% of sales in the region. As a result, “small-scale farmers have found themselves marginalised by the distribution sector and its new practices, and very poor households (for example, slum dwellers) are often paying more per unit for basic products than wealthier households” (World Bank). Moreover, supply chain issues remain a massive challenge – transporting products to market can involve road and railway difficulties and governance issues that can prevent goods crossing international boundaries.
Nevertheless, the EAC has huge potential: it has fast-evolving dynamics including rapid population growth, increasing urbanisation, macroeconomic stability and growth potential. It is increasing foreign and regional investment across sectors. Furthermore, the EAC’s regulatory advances and strong trade blocs make importing easier and enhance supply chains.
Supporting TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) in maximising this potential, Nathan is managing the Logistics Innovations for Trade Challenge Fund (LIFT, 2014 – 2016). LIFT is a $12m challenge fund designed to challenge businesses, private sector organisations and civil society organisations from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda to develop ideas aimed at promoting innovation in the transport and logistics sector in order to foster trade across East Africa.
LIFT aims to reduce the risk of investing in disruptive innovative technologies or improved practice; improve the efficiency of transport and logistics by catalysing innovation in the transport and logistics industry, particularly through ICT use, to boost efficiency; empower private sector and civil society organisations to advocate for the removal of regulatory barriers that restrict competition; and increase competition by enabling SMEs to compete against the cartels of large firms that currently dominate the industry.… Read More
Nearly 15 years of strong growth has resulted in Zambia becoming a middle-income country. Yet levels of poverty have remained intractably high (60.5% in 2010). A major reason why growth has not resulted in greater reduction in poverty levels is … Read More