The African Microfinance Week (SAM 2021)

Theme: Resilience, Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for the African Inclusive Finance Sector

SAM is the biggest microfinance event in Africa which takes place every two years in an African country. SAM provides a neutral platform for knowledge exchange on microfinance issues in the continent by bringing all stakeholders together. Previous SAM conferences have been held in Arusha, Tanzania; Dakar, Senegal; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

AFRACA was one of the organizers in the 2019 African Microfinance Week.

Objectives of the SAM 2021

The main objective of the SAM 2021 is to federate the thoughts and commitments of the different categories of actors in the African inclusive finance sector on strategies and actions to build the resilience of financial services operators and beneficiary populations, and accelerate their progress towards the SDGs.

Given the multiplicity of actors involved in inclusive finance and the popularity of previous editions, it is hoped that, taking into account the health barrier measures to be respected to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the 2021 edition of the SAM will bring together practitioners, donors, investors, governments, strategic and multilateral partners, and other stakeholders from across Africa and beyond. It will be held in Kigali over five days, with training sessions, meetings, and workshops before and after the two conference’s day.

The specific objectives of the conference are formulated as follows:

• To assess the effects of the health crisis due to COVID-19 on African populations, particularly on the informal economy players;
• Measuring the effects of the crisis on the vitality of the inclusive finance sector in the face of the challenges of the 2030 SDGs agenda;
• Identify the structural changes and financial innovations needed to strengthen the resilience of populations to climate change and crises;
• Identify the role of governments in structural transformations that can increase the robustness of inclusive finance and its impact on household resilience;
• Assess the opportunities inherent in the development of digital infrastructure for the inclusive finance sector;
• Examine the roles of stakeholders, partners and other stakeholders in inclusive finance with a view to federating their commitments around synergies of action to build a resilient and effective financial sector for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda of the SDGs in Africa.

Expected results

It is expected that by the end of the SAM 2021, the African inclusive finance sector will be able to capitalize on shared successes and address challenges that have become more severe due to shocks, with a view to effectively empowering people to build resilience, overcome poverty, and make significant progress towards the 2030 SDGs.

Activities of the SAM 2021

As in previous editions, the SAM will be a pan-African framework for high-level exchanges. The week’s program of activities will include plenary sessions, parallel sessions, discussion workshops, and training sessions for industry practitioners and other stakeholders. Interactive discussions will address current challenges, generate new ideas and open the way for new models and collaborative networks for more effective outcomes. Participants in the various sessions of SAM 2021 will be invited to share their experiences, ask questions, address current issues and commit to action.

More information about the 2021 Microfinance Week is available at: https://www.ada-microfinance.org/en/events/african-microfinance-week