With 15 years of experience serving grassroots communities across over 50,000 villages, Amartha is driving regional economic growth by digitizing rural SMEs in Sulawesi. Through its comprehensive AmarthaFin platform, rural residents can access digital payments, micro-investments, PPOB sales, and capital financing — all from a single application.

Since its Sulawesi launch in 2019, Amartha has empowered 700,000 female SME entrepreneurs with productive capital. In the last year alone, the company disbursed over IDR 1 trillion in working capital throughout the region.

AmarthaFin: Revolutionizing Financial Access for Local Entrepreneurs

Harumi Supit, VP of Public Relations at Amartha, stated, “The economic potential of rural areas and communities is significant but remains underutilized. With AmarthaFin, we offer a more complete digital financial service designed specifically for rural needs to promote financial inclusion and stimulate regional economic growth. This service makes digital financial transactions safe and practical for village residents and SME entrepreneurs.”

Field Support and Financial Literacy: Combining Technology with Human Touch

Beyond its digital platform, Amartha provides continuous business mentoring to its SME partners. More than 1,300 field officers across Sulawesi educate these entrepreneurs on financial and digital literacy. This dual approach of technology integration and on-the-ground support has successfully fostered SME growth in villages and mitigated financial risks.

Government and Bank Initiatives Complementing Digital Transformation

Recognizing the vital role of SMEs, local government agencies continue to boost SME development through capacity-building programs.

Dr. Andi Erni Ramanga, Acting Head of Development at Diskop South Sulawesi, explained, “Local SMEs still face challenges in accessing capital, adopting digital tools, and improving capabilities. Therefore, the Cooperative Office provides facilities to help SMEs upscale, including business consultants and incubators in digital, fashion, culinary, IT, and digital marketing sectors. The goal is to help South Sulawesi SMEs become more competitive.”

Supporting this effort, Aswin Gantina, Deputy Director of Bank Indonesia for South Sulawesi, shared, “Bank Indonesia encourages SMEs to adopt digital tools and maintain digital financial records. Capacity-building activities like UMKM Rewako, Rewako Farmers, Rewako Export, and Rewako Fashion programs also support SMEs in accessing financing and expanding markets.”

Future Outlook: Expanding Digital Financial Inclusion in Rural Sulawesi

Amartha’s technology-driven reach into rural SMEs accelerates digital adoption locally. Over 100,000 village residents in Sulawesi have already utilized the AmarthaFin app for digital transactions.

“Looking ahead, we hope AmarthaFin technology will increasingly open opportunities for millions of rural residents to access finance and connect with national and global investors, enabling them to realize their potential and drive village economies,” concluded Harumi.

PHOTO: AMARTHA

This article was created with AI assistance.