How Can Financial Services Support Platform Work? Insights from Five Emerging Markets

A diverse set of individuals and microenterprises generate their livelihoods through digital platforms, that are growing fast in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). Mediated by digital platforms, platform work encompasses a wide range of economic activity, but is mainly split between platform workers, who are individuals selling their labor and services and platform sellers, that are enterprises selling goods. Drawn from CGAP’s in-depth qualitative and quantitative research across five countries, this paper’s insights focus on the potential for financial services to support platform workers and sellers in leveraging the opportunities and mitigating the risks emerging in platform work.