Malawi: Village Banks Are Feeding the Nation--As Commercial Banks Look Away

Malawi: Village Banks Are Feeding the Nation--As Commercial Banks Look Away

In the face of rising poverty, high food prices, and limited access to formal credit, village banks have become the financial lifeline for most Malawians, a new World Bank report has revealed.

Village Banks Are Feeding the Nation—As Commercial Banks Look Away

In the face of rising poverty, high food prices, and limited access to formal credit, village banks have become the financial lifeline for most Malawians, a new World Bank report has revealed. According to the 2025 Malawi Economic Monitor, village savings and loan groups—commonly known as village banks—are now the main source of borrowing […] The post Village Banks Are Feeding the Nation—As Commercial Banks Look Away appeared first on Malawi Nya…

‘Village banks’ give relief—World Bank

Village savings and loans groups or village banks have emerged as the primary source of borrowing for a majority of people to support food consumption amid deepening financial strain and limited financial inclusion, a World Bank report shows. New evidence from the World Bank’s 2024 Rapid Feedback Monitoring System contained in the July 2025 Malawi Economic Monitor, a biannual publication that dissects the country’s economic performance, shows th…

World Bank support for Inga 3 dam signals return to big hydropower projects

Despite serious concerns from communities and civil society organisations (CSOs), the World Bank’s executive board approved a $250 million loan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 3 June in support of the first phase of the long-delayed Inga 3 dam’s construction. The project, which was first proposed in 2014, has an estimated price tag of $10 billion, with the Bank potentially providing $1 billion in total financing. CSOs have highlight…