Première Agence de Microfinance Mali (PAMF-Mali) was established in 2005 in the Mopti region in line with an initiative by the Malian government to develop the microfinance industry in the country. Though the country is served by 14 banks, their network and activities are primarily concentrated in urban areas and the microfinance sector is used, particularly in rural areas, by about one million clients.
There are 126 licensed microfinance institutions in the country but the sector has been in crisis for the past few years and several institutions are technically bankrupt or need to be strengthened. Over this period much of the population has lost confidence in the sector and the overall operating environment is challenging, exacerbated by ongoing political and security crises.
50%
Almost half of PAMF-Mali’s clients are women
Mali is a low-income, landlocked country with nearly 18 million inhabitants. Despite government and international efforts, political conflict and insecurity has plunged more than 40 percent of the population into poverty. The economy depends heavily on gold mining and agricultural exports, and is highly vulnerable to drought and fluctuations in global prices of gold and cotton.
AKAM in Mali provides micro loans which have allowed women to improve their standard of living.
PAMF-Mali operates three branches and two points of sale in Mopti, Koro, Sikasso, Djénné and Sévaré. While nearly half its borrowers are in rural areas, it is diversifying by expanding to urban areas and offers a wide range of products, including credit and savings products, tailored to meet the needs of farmers, artisans and traders. It aims to empower women and currently almost 50 percent of its clients are female. PAMF-Mali offers group loans to finance agriculture, small trade, micro-enterprises and livestock. These group loans have been especially popular in rural areas, where most credit is used for agricultural production and livestock.
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) implemented the Mopti Coordinated Area Development Programme. The programme combined interventions in health, education, rural development, financial services and civil society strengthening, to improve the quality of life for beneficiaries in the Mopti region. Through a US Department of Agriculture-supported project, PAMF-Mali is coordinating its efforts with AKF’s rural development programmes to enhance agricultural productivity and the quality of life of local residents. PAMF-Mali offers loans for inventory credit and agricultural equipment and provides access to savings services.
Based on other granary projects led by AKAM, PAMF-Mali developed and tested a grain storage product in Mopti. In 2018, PAMF-Mali launched a digital services programme offering savings and loan products in partnership with Orange.