Advans Tunisia launched its innovative Tashil programme last year with a $1 million grant from the U.S. government through the USAID Tunisia JOBS program to support 4,800 Tunisian entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis. With this programme, Advans Tunisia has chosen to pay particular attention to disadvantaged regions as well as to women and young people working in sectors of activity weakened by the health context.
This programme with a strong social and economic impact took the form of a package including a loan adapted to the needs of the beneficiaries, access to a financial education platform and a grant of 550dt from the USAID Tunisia JOBS programme. The financial education platform promoted the use of digital channels, and more specifically the Mobitasdid card, to which the donation was made. This payment card, co-branded with the Tunisian Post Office, facilitates the financial management of entrepreneurs, wherever they are and whatever their professional activity, allowing them to build up savings, pay their bills or their microcredit instalments, without having to go to an Advans branch.
The 9-month project Tashil aimed to reach populations with inadequate access to mainstream financial services to support their business, agricultural development or service activities. 30% of the beneficiaries are under 35 years old, and 36% of the total participants are women. Finally, 57% of the beneficiaries come from “disadvantaged” regions (mainly Kairouan, Sidi Bouzid, Beja and Jendouba).
Thanks to this programme, Advans Tunisia has disbursed a total volume of loans of more than 11 million dollars and nearly 13,000 jobs have been maintained.
The results of this programme are very positive, as 98% of the entrepreneurs who benefited from it expressed their satisfaction with the assistance Advans provided them during the COVID-19 crisis. The same proportion of beneficiaries were also very satisfied with the positive impact that the package (credit + platform + donation) had on their activities.
By encouraging its clients to turn to more innovative solutions, Advans Tunisia has been able to strengthen its omnichannel strategy while maintaining its focus on its mission: to work in the field of economic development by improving the resilience of Tunisian entrepreneurs.
TunisianMonitorOnline
