The Rwandan government has created a conducive environment for growth in multiple sectors, set ambitious targets to become a middle-income country by 2020, and sees the development of the financial sector as a key to meeting these targets.
In 2014-2015, a research company InterMedia conducted Financial Inclusion Insights Survey to explore the uptake and usage of financial services generally and mobile financial services in Rwanda. This study sought to understand the role digital financial services (DFS) play in money transfers, payments and savings among various consumer segments.
The study objectives were:
- to track citizens' access to financial services generally and the uptake and use of mobile financial services (MFS) specifically
- to evaluate service performance amongst MFS agents and customers
- to identify drivers and barriers to further adoption of MFS
- to make forward projections and provide insight that will generate market growth.
The survey was conducted among nationally representative sample of Rwandan adults age 15 and older. The sample size was 2,003. The survey was administered using face-to-face interviews from December 2014 to February 2015. The results provided baseline measurements. Subsequent annual surveys can measure trends and track market developments in digital financial services.