Mastercard’s commitment to driving digital and financial inclusion took center stage at the second annual Community Pass Customer Summit in Kampala, Uganda.
Bringing together over 90 public and private sector partners, the event showcased groundbreaking technologies and collaborations aimed at fostering sustainable solutions for underserved communities across Africa.
This year’s summit also featured more than 20 thought leaders dedicated to crafting sustainable solutions for digital and financial inclusion. Over 10 cutting-edge technologies and financial institutions presented their digital solutions, focusing on sectors such as agriculture, health, micro-commerce, and education.
The event, as well, hosted interactive panel discussions, exploring the profound impact of digital technology on service delivery and economic growth in remote areas.
At the heart of the summit was the redefinition of digital and financial services through Mastercard’s Community Pass.
Functioning as a shared interoperable platform, Community Pass leverages Mastercard’s core capabilities to provide digital infrastructure for both public and private sector players. This platform serves marginalized and frequently offline communities, offering a commercially sustainable approach to scaling service delivery.
Not just a digital platform
Community Pass is not just a digital platform; it’s a catalyst for change. Tara Nathan, EVP and Founder of Mastercard Community Pass, emphasized the transformative potential of the platform.
The aim is to bridge the gap between underserved communities and essential services, with a focus on addressing specific user needs. The platform has already reached nearly 5 million users globally, spanning across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and India.
The summit underscored the significance of fostering sustainable economic opportunities and integrating digitally excluded individuals into the formal digital economy. Community Pass enables rural and marginalized communities, often lacking digitized data records and connectivity, to access a network of offline services.
What they said
During the summit, key stakeholders shared their perspectives on the impact of Community Pass. Tara Nathan highlighted the platform’s role as a catalyst for change and its ability to connect underserved communities with essential services.
The Community Pass team announced three major collaborations during the summit.
The launch of the Yojana card in collaboration with Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions in India, a collaboration with Shell Foundation and Co-operative Bank of Kenya for providing below-market interest rates to smallholder farmers, and the introduction of Equity Bank of Uganda’s financial inclusion card.
These collaborations are expected to drive significant changes in digital and financial inclusion for smallholder farmers and rural communities.
Gerald Begumisa, Managing Director of Yo! Uganda, expressed the impact of their continued partnership with Community Pass, reaching 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Uganda and contributing to the nation’s financial empowerment.
