Outreach and sustainability of six rural finance institutions in sub- Saharan Africa

This paper reviews the performance of six rural finance institutions (RFIs) in sub-Saharan Africa. These institutions were selected because they exhibit some modes of operation which have been relatively successful. The review draws from World Bank documents and audited financial reports of the financial institutions. A matrix of key performance indicators is used to summarize quantitative and qualitative information on the RFIs. Based on the analysis of these six RFIs and the broader literature reviewed in this study, eight public policy recommendations are provided to improve outreach and sustainability of rural financial institutions. -from Authors