Across Africa, millions of small business owners rely on financial services to grow their livelihoods. Yet the risks remain significant. Advans, one of the leading Group of international microfinance institutions serves over 755,000 clients, most of them micro-entrepreneurs and farmers. While access to finance is expanding, data from 60 Decibels shows that many clients still face pressure meeting repayment obligations, navigating complex products, and managing household trade-offs when income is unstable.

Without strong safeguards, financial inclusion can unintentionally expose clients to over-indebtedness and financial stress. That is why frameworks like the Client Protection Pathway are so important, they focus on ensuring that microfinance practitioners have the policies, processes and training in place to serve vulnerable clients responsibly, focusing on the eight principles of appropriate product design and delivery, prevention of over indebtedness, transparency, responsible pricing, fair & respectful treatment of clients, client data privacy, mechanisms for complaint resolution and governance.

At Advans, client protection is rooted in its values and daily operations. Data from the 60 Decibels study (conducted with 1,712 Advans clients across 6 subsidiaries in 2024) showed that 82% of Advans clients consider that Advans staff always treat them fairly and respectfully (+4 points above Africa benchmark). Advans believes financial inclusion should create stability, not risk.

Over the past year, this commitment has been strengthened through independent certification. Advans Tunisia has achieved Gold-Level Client Protection Certification, while Advans Côte d’Ivoire has earned Silver certification. This March 2026, Advans Ghana also joined this group, with its Silver certification confirmed a few days ago. These certifications were granted by the independent international rating agency, MFR and place the Advans network among the first in Africa to receive this level of certification under the new Client Protection standards.

Advans International’s ambition is to have all Advans institutions certified by the end of this year, with Advans Nigeria, Advans Congo and Advans Cameroun having already completed precertification audits.

This reflects a Group-wide effort to apply the same client protection standards across all markets.

Since inception, Advans has disbursed over one million loans worth €3.5 billion across its African subsidiaries. In 2025 alone, the Group disbursed €520 million in loans to micro-businesses and farmers. With this reach comes responsibility, as microlending in Africa continues to play a crucial role in supporting micro-entrepreneurs and rural livelihoods.

Certification requires institutions to demonstrate that client protection is embedded in practice. At Advans field staff are trained to thoroughly assess clients’ repayment capacity before approving loans and to explain terms and conditions clearly in a simple language adapted to each client. Advans has also worked on making marketing materials and product documentation as easy to understand and legible as possible for clients and communicating clearly on grievance mechanisms to ensure clients can raise concerns and receive timely responses. According to Advans Impact Report, 89% of complaints are resolved within 30 days, showing how these systems function in practice.

Advans’ approach also focuses on service quality. Each borrower is supported by a dedicated relationship officer, and loyal clients with good repayment history can access automated renewals. Today, Advans employs over 1,350 relationship officers across its markets. This human connection plays a central role in building trust and understanding clients’ real needs. Advans is a key player in microfinancing in Africa, combining personalized service with financial inclusion initiatives.

Certification is not the end of the journey. It is a checkpoint. Internally, it strengthens accountability and encourages teams to continuously improve. Externally, it reassures regulators, investors, and partners that responsible finance is being taken seriously.

Looking ahead, Advans focus remains on strengthening how to serve clients. This means clear communication, fair practices, and products designed around real-life needs. It also means listening closely to client feedback and using data to improve our services. Advans works with independent partners such as 60 Decibels to measure outcomes and understand where we can do better.

By embedding client protection into their operations, Advans aims to contribute to a more responsible and trustworthy financial sector across Africa, one where access to finance supports stability, dignity, and long-term growth for entrepreneurs and their communities.

To learn more about Advans International’s commitment to client protection, we invite you to explore articles highlighting its already certified subsidiaries. In particular, discover the achievements of Advans Tunisia, which has earned Gold certification, as well as those of Advans Côte d’Ivoire and Advans Ghana, both of which have been awarded Silver certification.