Catia Batista
@catiabatista.bsky.social
Professor of Economics | NovaSBE
Founder and Scientific Director | NOVAFRICA @novafrica.bsky.social
International migration, economic development & policy impact evaluation
https://catiabatista.org/
Founder and Scientific Director | NOVAFRICA @novafrica.bsky.social
International migration, economic development & policy impact evaluation
https://catiabatista.org/
Thanks to E&M for the thoughtful interview and to our incredible field team and partners in Mozambique!
Interview: issuu.com/media4develo...
Paper: doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Interview: issuu.com/media4develo...
Paper: doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Is Mobile Money Changing Rural Africa? Evidence from a Field Experiment
Abstract. Rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa are typically underserved by financial services. Mobile money brings a substantial reduction in the transaction costs of remittances. We follow the introduc...
doi.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Thanks to E&M for the thoughtful interview and to our incredible field team and partners in Mozambique!
Interview: issuu.com/media4develo...
Paper: doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Interview: issuu.com/media4develo...
Paper: doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Bottom line:
Mobile money does much more than speed up transactions - it can transform rural economies, strengthen resilience, and accelerate structural change and urbanization.
Mobile money does much more than speed up transactions - it can transform rural economies, strengthen resilience, and accelerate structural change and urbanization.
November 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Bottom line:
Mobile money does much more than speed up transactions - it can transform rural economies, strengthen resilience, and accelerate structural change and urbanization.
Mobile money does much more than speed up transactions - it can transform rural economies, strengthen resilience, and accelerate structural change and urbanization.
Welfare improved:
Despite less farming, households reported higher well-being, fewer episodes of hunger, and higher spending on essentials like education and medicines.
Despite less farming, households reported higher well-being, fewer episodes of hunger, and higher spending on essentials like education and medicines.
November 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Welfare improved:
Despite less farming, households reported higher well-being, fewer episodes of hunger, and higher spending on essentials like education and medicines.
Despite less farming, households reported higher well-being, fewer episodes of hunger, and higher spending on essentials like education and medicines.
Agricultural activity declined:
With more urban migration opportunities, families reduced agricultural activity and investment. This shows how simple financial technologies can shift labour and reshape local economies.
With more urban migration opportunities, families reduced agricultural activity and investment. This shows how simple financial technologies can shift labour and reshape local economies.
November 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Agricultural activity declined:
With more urban migration opportunities, families reduced agricultural activity and investment. This shows how simple financial technologies can shift labour and reshape local economies.
With more urban migration opportunities, families reduced agricultural activity and investment. This shows how simple financial technologies can shift labour and reshape local economies.
Remittances went up:
The value of remittances received more than doubled for treated households — especially when they were hit by shocks like floods or health problems. Mobile money became a powerful tool for risk sharing.
The value of remittances received more than doubled for treated households — especially when they were hit by shocks like floods or health problems. Mobile money became a powerful tool for risk sharing.
November 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Remittances went up:
The value of remittances received more than doubled for treated households — especially when they were hit by shocks like floods or health problems. Mobile money became a powerful tool for risk sharing.
The value of remittances received more than doubled for treated households — especially when they were hit by shocks like floods or health problems. Mobile money became a powerful tool for risk sharing.
Migration increased:
Households with access to mobile money were 14.5 percentage points more likely to have a migrant two years later. Cheaper, safer remittances make migration a more viable strategy.
Households with access to mobile money were 14.5 percentage points more likely to have a migrant two years later. Cheaper, safer remittances make migration a more viable strategy.
November 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Migration increased:
Households with access to mobile money were 14.5 percentage points more likely to have a migrant two years later. Cheaper, safer remittances make migration a more viable strategy.
Households with access to mobile money were 14.5 percentage points more likely to have a migrant two years later. Cheaper, safer remittances make migration a more viable strategy.
Our study was the first randomized field experiment to introduce mobile money in rural areas with no prior access to formal financial services.
We followed about 100 villages over 3 years to measure how this technology reshaped rural life.
We followed about 100 villages over 3 years to measure how this technology reshaped rural life.
November 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Our study was the first randomized field experiment to introduce mobile money in rural areas with no prior access to formal financial services.
We followed about 100 villages over 3 years to measure how this technology reshaped rural life.
We followed about 100 villages over 3 years to measure how this technology reshaped rural life.
NOVAFRICA » Integrating Migrants: Experimental Evidence on Cross-Border Spillovers
novafrica.org
October 24, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Congratulations for a super interesting conference! Great to hear and exchange with so many other researchers working on irregular migration from West Africa to Europe.
October 13, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Congratulations for a super interesting conference! Great to hear and exchange with so many other researchers working on irregular migration from West Africa to Europe.
Read the related research below.
Mobile money and migration:
doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Brain drain vs brain gain:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Mobile money and migration:
doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Brain drain vs brain gain:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
October 13, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Read the related research below.
Mobile money and migration:
doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Brain drain vs brain gain:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Mobile money and migration:
doi.org/10.1162/rest...
Brain drain vs brain gain:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...