Determinants of the Performance of African Microfinance Institutions: An Analysis Panel Data

Introduction

Microfinance is gradually developing in Africa and especially the Middle East and North (MENA) Africa through micro-finance institutions varied.

The goal of most of these MFIs is to reconcile social performance that aims to reduce poverty and financial performance which aims to ensure long-term profitability.

The question arises: Are there arbitration or compatibility between these two types of performance? A factorial cross-sectional analysis on a sample of 141 MFIs in 26 countries in Africa and MENA examines the relationship between these two performances.

There is no arbitration for some MFIs that combine two performances which include determinants vary according to several indicators identified in our study.

For the poor excluded from the traditional financial system, microfinance can be a means of access to finance and improve their living conditions, it develops gradually in the MENA region through microfinance institutions (MFIs) varied (NGOs, cooperatives, non-bank financial institutions and banks) (Berguiga 2010) .

The duality between social performance and financial performance was well addressed using two approaches namely the welfarist and those institutionalists.

According to the institutionalist approach is more emphasis on financial self-sufficiency program that the amplitude of the depth of the program and the extent of the impact on customers.

While according to the approach of social welfare or welfarist resumes microfinance in a social setting to achieve the etiquette of the target population. Secondly, it looks at differences between people of the same company.