top of page
Demographics comms graphics 1-02.png

T H E   L A T E S T :
Our analysis on why Cambodia is set to be a major beneficiary from demographic change.

Rice HP1 strip MSP blue shadow small-92.png
MSP arrow white-11.png

News & Insights

MSP arrow-04.png
Our Insights

Read our research reports and analysis about topical issues.

MSP arrow-04.png
In the News

Read our announcements and media coverage involving Mekong Strategic Capital.

29 MAY 2023

MSP arrow-04.png

GCF Approves the MSC designed Cambodian Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) to Boost Cambodia’s Green Economy

PUBLICATION:  MSC ANNOUNCEMENT

6 AUGUST 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

‘Green Deal’ seen as good proposal at ASEAN meeting

Climate change and post-pandemic recovery were among Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s top priorities as his nation hosted the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings this week. “Climate change is the biggest long-term issue that the world is facing, and its effects are increasingly being felt here and now,” said Stephen Higgins, managing partner of investment management firm Mekong Strategic Partners in Cambodia...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  CHINA DAILY

8 FEBRUARY 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

Digital Financial Services Picks Up Steam in Cambodia

Over the past few years, digital financial services have seen greater adoption in Cambodia, a trend that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing measures put in place to limit the spread of the virus...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  FINTECH NEWS

8 SEPTEMBER 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

What Explains Cambodia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Success?

The country is outpacing most of its Southeast Asian neighbors – and many of the world’s wealthiest nations...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  THE DIPLOMAT

16 AUGUST 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

ARDB mulled as green-financing mechanism

Cambodia is examining the possibility of selecting the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank of Cambodia (ARDB) as a green-financing mechanism, in a bid to attract green investment to the Kingdom...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

4 MAY 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia's COVID lockdown puts delivery drivers on the front line

In more ways than one, Foodpanda delivery driver Pros Savit has become an essential worker. With his garment worker wife furloughed, the 24-year-old relies on the 80 cents he earns per delivery to feed his extended family of 10 and repay a loan...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NIKKEI ASIA

23 NOVEMBER 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Spreading the concept of financial technology

Despite experiencing rapid growth in the last few years, financial technology (fintech) services in the Kingdom are still underdeveloped and underused. To fulfill its potential in the Cambodian economy, fintech must overcome a number of challenges...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

22 OCTOBER 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

USAID Convenes Bank CEOs in Cambodia for Climate Risk Talk

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Green Invest Asia and the Association of Banks in Cambodia convened more than 60 senior representatives from Cambodian banks on October 20 to examine climate risks and opportunities for the lending community...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  USAID GREEN INVEST ASIA

6 JULY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia’s First Offshore Oil Extraction Delayed Again Amid Pandemic

Cambodia has aspired to draw oil since deposits were discovered off Preah Sihanouk province’s coast more than 15 years ago...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  VOD

2 JUNE 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia to phase out US dollar denominations

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will soon not accept smaller denominated US dollar banknotes — US$1, US$2 and US$5 — due to low demand...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NEW STRAITS TIMES

30 APRIL 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Kellogg GIM Class Flies on Zoom Airways

One of my great joys of working at Kellogg is that I’ve served as a faculty advisor for our Global Initiatives in Management classes for the last eight years...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  INSIDE KELLOGG

15 JANUARY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia: The stock exchange takes baby steps

Even on a busy day, you can hear a pin drop at the Cambodia Securities Exchange, but with a handful of new share listings and more bond issues expected in 2020, investors can hope for a slightly livelier scene...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  EUROMONEY

11 DECEMBER 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Nine Countries “Take Flight” With Green Banks for Climate Action

MADRID, SPAIN - As pressure builds for stronger country-level action to curb climate change, nine countries and partners are demonstrating that leadership...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NRDC MEDIA RELEASE

8 AUGUST 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

USAID Green Invest Asia Formalizes Green Finance Work With Association Of Banks In Cambodia

USAID Green Invest Asia signed a memorandum with the Association of Banks in Cambodia to support the creation and national roll-out of risk management and sustainable finance principles...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  USAID MEDIA RELEASE

23 APRIL 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia launches its first technology startup report

Cambodia’s digital startup ecosystem is vibrant and dynamic, with strong opportunities as well as entrepreneurial culture, according to a report by Mekong Strategic Partners and Raintree...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

22 OCTOBER 2018

MSP arrow-04.png

Logistics startup Joonaak wins Seedstars Cambodia 2018

Global early stage startup competition for emerging markets Seedstars World made its debut in the kingdom...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  e27

12 DECEMBER 2017

MSP arrow-04.png

Searching for sustainable energy in the Mekong

Southeast Asian governments are starting to wake up to the vast potential of solar energy, under pressure from civil society groups that insist it is time to get on board with a global revolution in renewable energy...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  THE INTERPRETER

20 SEPTEMBER 2016

MSP arrow-04.png

Banking with a positive spin

A banking sector initiative launched yesterday aims to advise Cambodia’s financial sector on best practices for sustainable lending while capitalising on the growing pool of international funds that could flow into green and socially responsible projects...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

2 FEBRUARY 2016

MSP arrow-04.png

Report recommends actions to increase Cambodia’s renewable energy use

The Cambodian National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), in collaboration with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partners, launched a report today that highlights Cambodia’s need to set a formal target for renewable energy generation for sustainable and secure economic growth...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  MEKONG EYE

29 MAY 2023

MSP arrow-04.png

MSC successfully completes US Government’s flagship climate finance program for South East Asia

PUBLICATION:  MSC ANNOUNCEMENT

4 OCTOBER 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia’s outstanding loan balance forecast to hit $119B in 2027

Credit Bureau of Cambodia (CBC) has made a medium-term outlook for Cambodia’s total loan balance forecasting it to grow from $48 billion in 2022 to $119 billion in 2027, representing a 147% growth over five years...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  CAMB INVESTMENT REVIEW

15 JULY 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

Inflation to remain ‘manageable’: National Bank of Cambodia

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) expects the country’s inflation to remain at “manageable” levels, guided by prudential monetary policy, despite recent sparks of geopolitical conflict that have spurred the rise of global oil and food prices...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  ASIA NEWS NETWORK

25 OCTOBER 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

Green Project Finance Training to build the Bankers’ Capability

The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and USAID Green Invest Asia delivered a Green Project Finance Training session to ABC’s member banks...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  ABC

27 AUGUST 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

2nd Sustainable Finance Forum touched on Green Credit Guidelines for Cambodia

The Association of Banks in Cambodia together with USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) on August 24, 2021 organized the 2nd Sustainable Finance Forum on the topic “Green Credit Guidelines Discussion for Cambodia”.....

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  ABC

28 JUNE 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

The secret to advanced fintech in Southeast Asia’s poorest countries

In Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, three of Southeast Asia's least-developed and most unbanked nations, unique socio-economic contexts have contributed to the growth of fintech that wouldn't look out of place in some of the world's most developed economies...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  SOUTHEAST ASIA GLOBE

21 JANUARY 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

Powering up on coal but at what cost?

The haste to expand economic growth and achieve rural electrification has drawn Chinese interest and though China is closing down fossil fuel plants in its country as emissions rise, Cambodia prefers to look the other way...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

12 NOVEMBER 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

PPAP maintains stable revenue in pandemic

Cambodia Securities Exchange (CSX)-listed Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP) has maintained a stable financial position during the first 10 months of 2020, despite the economic headwinds posed by the pandemic...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

10 AUGUST 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Small banks ‘underperform’ in thriving sector

As the Kingdom’s energetic banking sector rockets at an average annual rate of 28 per cent and teems with an ever-increasing number of new players vying for a slice of the market, smaller banks have been left in the dust...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

16 JUNE 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia rolls out online business registration to slash red tape

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia has launched a new online business registration system that it says will reduce the time to start a company from three months to eight days...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

1 JUNE 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Central Bank Moves to Remove Small U.S. Dollar Bills out of Circulation

PHNOM PENH — The National Bank of Cambodia announced on Friday a new plan to phase-out circulation of small-denominated U.S. dollar bills in the country’s highly-dollarized economy, creating some confusion among citizens if these bills had been banned outright...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  VOA

31 MARCH 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

GDP Growth to Shrink to 2.5% Amid Pandemic, World Bank Projects

Cambodia’s GDP growth this year could drop to its lowest rate in more than a decade, the World Bank projects...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  VOD

15 JANUARY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

ABA's makeover into a Cambodian digital leader

Central Asian expertise and North American money made for a powerful mix: together they have turned ABA Bank into a digital entrepreneur and propelled it to the top tier of Cambodia’s banking industry...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  EUROMONEY

4 OCTOBER 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Cashless society closer but hard money will remain in widespread use, analysts say

More than 50 payment companies are offering cashless services to customers, a rise from between five to 10 payment companies in the past two years...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

24 JULY 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

SmartScale to conclude with a Demo Day

A Demo Day will be held on July 25 to mark the conclusion of the SmartScale startup accelerator program...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

15 MARCH 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

SADIF to transform digital ecosystem

SADIF stands for Smart Axiata Digital Innovation Fund. It is Cambodia’s first venture capital fund focusing solely on digital companies. Managed by Mekong Strategic Partners (MSP), with investments from Smart Axiata, as well as Forte Insurance, the priority for SADIF is Cambodia focused technology companies...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

7 SEPTEMBER 2018

MSP arrow-04.png

Former refugee bets on Cambodia's early-stage startups

PHNOM PENH -- The chairman of Cambodia's largest logistics group has raised $55 million to invest in the country's growing stable of early-stage start-ups...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

17 NOVEMBER 2017

MSP arrow-04.png

A Bright Future in Cambodia’s Energy Sector?

Rather than ecologically harmful dams, Cambodia should explore solar power to fill its energy gap...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  THE DIPLOMAT

24 JUNE 2016

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia: Russia’s Gateway to ASEAN?

On May 17, 2016, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen held bilateral talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to strengthen economic linkages between Moscow and Phnom Penh...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  THE DIPLOMAT

11 JANUARY 2023

MSP arrow-04.png

Leader Talks: Stephen Higgins on Cambodia’s post-COVID financial sector outlook

Founder and Managing Partner of Mekong Strategic Capital, Mr. Stephen Higgins spoke with CIR Leader Talks about his financial advisory firms latest market report detailing Cambodia’s financial sectors strong loan growth during COVID-19, the emergence of the new ‘Big 4’ and rising interest rates coupled with tightening liquidity...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  CAMB INVESTMENT REVIEW

20 AUGUST 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

Environment ministry considering establishing Cambodian climate finance mechanism

Cambodia has been studying a proposal to establish a Cambodian climate finance facility for it to contribute to the development of a low-carbon national economy and to respond to climate change...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

10 FEBRUARY 2022

MSP arrow-04.png

Digital Lending Shakes Up Cambodia’s Over-indebted Banking Sector

Even before the pandemic, Cambodia had established itself as one of the most loan-saturated markets in the world, thanks largely to the proliferation of microfinance institutions and weak oversight of the sector...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  VOA CAMBODIA

30 SEPTEMBER 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

USAID focuses on mobilizing climate finance in Cambodia Climate Change Summit

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its sustainable land use finance technical assistance hub in Southeast Asia, USAID Green Invest Asia, organized two sessions focused on climate finance for the September 28 Cambodia Climate Change Summit 2021. Hosted by Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment and supported by a number of private sector and donor organizations....

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  GREEN INVEST ASIA

19 AUGUST 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

Among global vaccine leaders, Cambodia on track for more than 6% growth in 2022

Cambodia is on track to achieve GDP growth of more than six percent next year thanks to its “well strategised and rapidly executed” vaccine rollout, according to an investment advisory firm....

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

3 JUNE 2021

MSP arrow-04.png

Covid-19 loan restructuring driving bank profitability

Cambodia’s banking system reported higher earnings despite the pandemic as strong fundamentals sustain growth...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  CAMBODIA NEWS WATCH

26 NOVEMBER 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Unicorn firms in Cambodia akin to mythical creature’s being

As overall fund size expand so does the pressure on venture capitals and private equities to secure quality investments, essentially making unicorns an unlikely sighting for now...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

5 NOVEMBER 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

The Anakut podcast: Leapfrogging and the future of work in Cambodia

In episode five, we talk leapfrogging. Not the children’s game, but the idea that developing states can skip old tech to get up to speed with the latest and greatest. To learn more, we spoke to Kem Bora of investment group Mekong Strategic Partners, and Manu Rajan, CEO of digital money transfer service Wing...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  SOUTHEAST ASIA GLOBE

6 JULY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

USAID Supports Cambodian Banks’ Gender-Lens Investing

More than 50 members of the Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) discussed the benefits – and business necessity – of gender criteria in Cambodian banking practices...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  USAID MEDIA RELEASE

4 JUNE 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

SEZs prepare for ‘post-Covid’ era recoil, expansion

Although Cambodia’s economic growth is widely forecast to contract this year, several factories in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ), the Kingdom’s second-largest industrial zone after Sihanoukville SEZ, are preparing for expansion...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

12 MAY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Cambodia's stock market marks a milestone amid crisis

PHNOM PENH -- After languishing for years with fewer than half a dozen listed companies, the Cambodia Securities Exchange is set for a "game changing" IPO by one of the country's largest domestic banks...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

15 MARCH 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Banks, MFIs asked to delay loan repayment

Industry insiders and financial experts are urging local banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to temporarily suspend the repayment of loans to give borrowers breathing space as the spread of Covid-19 takes its toll on the economy...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

14 JANUARY 2020

MSP arrow-04.png

Pi Pay to merge with SmartLuy to be leading payment platform

Smart Axiata Co Ltd’s subsidiary SmartLuy will soon be merging with the country’s leading payment platform, Pi Pay Plc...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

2 OCTOBER 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Kingdom’s fintech adoption soars, digital payments rise

Cambodia's adoption of financial technology (fintech) has been showing rapid growth recently, despite the current low rate, Mekong Strategic Partners Co Ltd (MSP) said on Wednesday...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

8 JULY 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Grab takes on Cambodia's PassApp for ride-hailing supremacy

PHNOM PENH -- Grab's push to dominate Cambodia's nascent ride-hailing market is squeezing local leader PassApp and fueling a brutal price war that has drivers caught in the middle...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

19 FEBRUARY 2019

MSP arrow-04.png

Investment Law to be revised

The government is gathering input from the private sector and development partners to amend the country’s Investment Law and make the country a more attractive destination for foreign investment...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  KHMER TIMES

9 JANUARY 2018

MSP arrow-04.png

Employers required to pay more into NSSF for workers

A government policy that went into effect at the start of the year requires employers to pay more into their employees’ government-managed social security funds, a move that could have wide-ranging effects on the country’s nascent private- and government-run health care systems...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  SMART MEDIA RELEASE

5 DECEMBER 2016

MSP arrow-04.png

Financial sector is on the radar

A growing interest in Cambodia’s financial sector has led to some recent high-profile mergers and acquisitions. The Post’s Kali Kotoski sat down with John McGinley, managing partner for Mekong Strategic Partners, to discuss the investment opportunities in the sector...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  PHNOM PENH POST

7 APRIL 2016

MSP arrow-04.png

Phnom Penh SEZ Gets Green Light for Listing

MThe Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been given the go-ahead to launch its initial public offering (IPO) this month on the Cambodian Securities Exchange (CSX), according to the company, which would make it the fourth firm to list on the bourse...

READ MORE...

PUBLICATION:  MEKONG MIGRATION NETWORK

bottom of page