The problem
In Nepal, only 34 per cent of all adults have an account at a financial institution, and this number is even lower for women (31 per cent) and lower income individuals (24 per cent). Financial inclusion is key to reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Without it, many societies are held back.
The company
The eSewa mobile payment solution can be accessed either through a mobile app or over the counter through one of 25,000 agents across the
country. Users can buy mobile airtime (from Nepal Telecom and Ncell Axiata), pay bills, deposit funds in their bank account or perform cash-in/cash-outs from their eSewa account. The mobile app can also be used to buy bus tickets, pay for school fees or book trips abroad.
Project description
eSewa received a grant from the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator Innovation Fund in April 2017 to improve the usability of its agent mobile app and expand its services and operations in eastern Nepal.
Impact
As of October 2018, eSewa serves over 796,000 active customers across Nepal and its Android mobile app has been downloaded over 1.3 million
times.
Donor(s)
Partnerships
