Challenge 2025

The Digitization of the Global Credit Union System

A New Decade, A New Goal

In 2014, World Council of Credit Unions set a goal of reaching 260 million credit union members worldwide by 2020.

Through a concentrated worldwide effort, credit unions were able to reach our "Vision 2020" goal by 2017. But that growth was not even across all countries or among all credit unions. The credit unions that grew were those that offered core services via online and mobile channels. That is why we are now addressing how we increase membership going forward—through the digitization of the global credit union system by 2025.

Measuring Global Digitization

World Council will measure the digitization of credit unions in four key areas and report annually on the progress being made toward Challenge 2025.

Digital Channels

Offering members core digital transaction services such as online and mobile banking, online payments and online loan processing.

Shared Platforms

Connecting your credit union to a shared payments system that allows for mobile payments and integrated with a national payments system.

Risk Management

Implementation of a cybersecurity system that complies with national regulations to protect members' identity and consumer data from digital attacks and intrusions.

Data Analytics

Employing data analytics to determine additional service offerings to members, and helping to identify those that need financial literacy or counseling services.

Follow Our Progress, Tell Us About Yours

Track the latest developments in digitization by subscribing to our Challenge 2025 Blog. You can also send us updates on how your credit union or credit union system is striving to help us meet Challenge 2025 at communications@woccu.org.

2023-05-25

Colombian Credit Union Professionals to Take Digital ‘Deep Dive’ in Silicon Valley

Professionals in the Colombian credit union and cooperative sector will soon be embarking on a three-day engagement in Silicon Valley to identify opportunities to advance the digital transformation of their organizations.

2023-04-28

Ukrainian Credit Unions Upgrade Websites and Provide Modern Digital Services to Members

World Council’s Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in March completed its effort to upgrade the websites of both Ukrainian credit union associations, two central credit unions and 49 individual credit unions in Ukraine.

2023-03-23

Brazil's Largest Credit Union System Integrates its Virtual Assistant with Alexa

Sicredi, a cooperative financial institution with more than six million members across Brazil and a direct member of World Council of Credit Unions, has integrated its virtual assistant, Theo, into Amazon's voice command system, Alexa.

2023-02-22

How Kwara is Driving SACCO Growth in Kenya

The following post was written by the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO) Ltd., World Council of Credit Unions direct member association in Kenya, and originally appeared in the January 2023 edition of KUSCCO's SACCO Star magazine. Kwara, a Kenyan fintech digitizing credit unions, signed an exclusive digital solutions distribution agreement with KUSCCO in January and is also acquiring KUSCCO's subsidiary IRNET, a software company and provider for SACCOs.

2023-01-25

Digital Growth Award Presents Opportunity for Credit Unions to Showcase Success Stories

As World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) fields nominations for its 2023 Digital Growth Award, we are struck by how many of our members and their credit unions have risen to Challenge 2025 to help us expand digital transformation across the globe.

2022-12-22

A Year of Developing Digital Solutions in Peru and Ecuador

World Council's Economic Inclusion Project (EIP) in 2022 delivered a host of digital solutions for Venezuelan migrants and vulnerable location populations in Peru and Ecuador seeking formal financial services, job training and entrepreneurship skills.

2022-11-23

World Council Member Association in Nepal Embraces Challenge 2025 with Development of ERP System

Two years after launching a research project inspired by World Council of Credit Unions’ (WOCCU) Challenge 2025 initiative, the Nepal Federation of Savings & Credit Cooperative Unions. Ltd. (NEFSCUN) is working with a local software developer to build a multi-tenant, cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that will allow member credit unions to automate and manage their core business processes.

2022-10-26

Digital Growth Remains Top of Mind for Global Credit Union Movement

If you had to pick one thing that jumps out from the pages of World Council of Credit Unions’ expanded 2021 Statistical Report, it would be that digital products and services are an overwhelming priority for credit unions around the world.

2022-08-25

Regulators Urge Credit Unions Match Enthusiasm for FinTech with Equal Level of Risk Management

Attendees of July's 2022 World Credit Union Conference in Glasgow, Scotland got to hear from two of the world’s foremost authorities on national credit union regulations during a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies.