A Comparative Study of Microfinance Institutions Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa According to their Legal Status

Abstract:     
This paper investigates the existence of a difference in performance amongst microfinance institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa according to their legal status. A multivariate analysis of variance allows the study of a sample of 94 MFIs between 2001 and 2005. Results suggest that cooperatives show better organizational and financial efficiency than private companies and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs). No significant difference in portfolio quality by the legal status of MFIs is found. Furthermore, no significant difference in profitability and viability is found between private companies and NGOs. However, while transactions are more intense in cooperatives, outreach (number of active borrowers) seems more important in private.

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