Mobile money and financial inclusion of migrants in sub-Saharan Africa

Mobile Money, and its role in enhancing financial inclusion of many people that remain unbanked or underbanked in developing countries, has attracted significant attention both from academics and policy makers in recent years. What is less explored, however, is how Mobile Money services are used in the context of migration and displacement in sub-Saharan Africa. This chapter examines the ways in which Mobile Money has facilitated the financial inclusion of migrants and explores, through key examples and analysis, how these platforms have enabled the cheaper, safer and faster transfer of remittances, made it possible to make digital cash transfers in displacement contexts, supported migrants’ economic activities and their potential to enable migrants’ access to credit. This chapter also underscores the significant challenges when it comes to access to Mobile Money services, including the persistent gender gap in both the ownership of mobile phones and use of Mobile Money services.