Access to financial services (or A2F) has become a mantra but unless one can assess what the ‘frontier’ is it will be impossible for financial service providers to develop appropriate products, forms of distribution or for governments to create an effective enabling environment.

The Access Frontier approach segments the market for a particular product into five groups:

 (a) those who now use it,
 (b) those who could have it but don’t want it,
 (c) those who are within reach of the market now,

 (d) and in the foreseeable future, and finally,
 (e) those outside of the reach of the market because of their low income.

With an increased understanding of the state and trajectory of the market, it will assist in driving back the frontier of access to new levels.