Partnering with a Tech Giant to Promote Financial Literacy in Uganda

FINCA has recently partnered with Cisco Systems to launch a new banking chatbot in Uganda named “Flora.” Last year, Cisco Systems agreed to provide funding and technical assistance to develop Flora. With their support, FINCA Uganda put together a team of IT, marketing, and customer service professionals to plan and execute. The project is in the early market rollout stages and will enhance financial literacy in Uganda. So far, the response from customers has been encouraging.

A Tech Solution for Customer Service in FINCA Uganda

Joan Apio and Diana Atim from FINCA Uganda were selected and trained to lead the call center team of 12. They receive feedback from customers testing Flora and relay it to the development team. When Flora is fully operational, it will add efficiency to customer service operations, which needs to serve a growing number of clients. “We are looking at having 1 million clients at some point,” said Joan Apio. “So in order to serve all those customers, we need a strong call center. Flora makes it a lot better because it will feel like talking to a human on the other side,” she continued.

Another unique feature of Flora is that it promotes financial literacy. It enables customers to set savings goals and check progress over time. This is of critical importance for so many FINCA Uganda clients because financial coaching can significantly increase savings. “Most clients had accounts, but they were unfunded, and they don’t know how to set their goals, so we help them through that procedure,” said Diana Atim. “They are excited about Flora because they can set their goals at their own convenience.” The financial literacy component is unique in Uganda. It makes Flora stand out among its competitors in the market.

Cisco Systems and FINCA: A Partnership for Financial Literacy in Uganda

The development of Flora is a collaborative effort involving several entities. The team is led by Michael Mbusa, Head of Innovation and Product Development. He works across functions and geographic locations. “The expertise from each of these individuals was very enriching, and also it helped us to look at things from totally different angles,” said Michael Mbusa. “FINCA will be able to better understand customer’s user habits, anticipate customer actions, and deliver personalized offers and services.”

As a result of FINCA’s partnership with Cisco Systems, Flora is serving innovative entrepreneurs in Uganda. Both organizations are seizing the opportunities of tomorrow to help build a brighter future.