FINCA DRC launched in 2003 while the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was still suffering from an armed conflict. During its early years the microfinance institution provided small loans to support small business development in the country. During the first three years of operation the institution exclusively operated in Kinshasa and provided village banking loans intended primarily to empower women entrepreneurs.
FINCA DRC steadily expanded to serve a growing Congolese market. In 2006 it began offering individual loans while expanding its operations to Matadi and Katanga regions. The institution now provides a large range of loan products in addition to savings accounts, debit card services, bill payments and money transfer services.
Now a leader in the country’s microfinance sector, FINCA DRC currently serves more than 300,000 clients through a network of 21 branches located in eight regions, more than 1,000 FINCA eXpress banking agents and an expanding mobile banking channel. FINCA eXpress launched in 2011 as a third-party service delivery model that enables clients to access financial services without traveling long distances to the nearest brick-and-mortar branch. In addition to dispensing financial services, FINCA eXpress agents are trained to provide financial literacy training.
CLICK, the institution’s mobile banking channel, launched in 2018 to increase access to branchless banking. Clients are able to use CLICK to manage their FINCA DRC accounts, transfer funds to other account holders and make payments.
FINCA DRC is noted for its unrivaled capacity to provide impactful financial services from various access points located across the country. The institution is fulfilling the FINCA Impact Finance purpose of profitably and responsibly providing innovative and impactful financial services to enable low-income individuals and communities to invest in their futures.