2012 Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Snapshot

This report provides an overview of trends in the microfinance sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It derives its data from 259 institutions that reported to MIX in the 2011 financial year. Topics include MFI distribution, outreach, performance drivers, funding flows, and regional economic communities.The report states that numbers in SSA recovered slightly from previous losses in 2011, in terms of both borrowers and depositors, due to sustained economic growth across the region. Findings include:

• Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) and NGOs are spread evenly across SSA;
• Banks and Cooperatives are respectively absent in West Africa (except in Nigeria) and southern Africa;
• SSA remains the second largest regional market in terms of number of depositors and the only region globally with depositors far outnumbering borrowers at three to one;
• NGOs serve the highest percentage of women, and NBFIs have the greatest percentage of rural clients;
• SSA's positive returns on assets (ROA) trends are led by East Africa;
• Foreign funding remains prevalent and represents the most attractive funding conditions in SSA;
• Overall risk is decreasing in SSA despite localized high risk levels.