After SAM (Semaine africaine de la microfinance) 2021, a questionnaire was sent by email to 650 people (out of the 700 who participated) and a total of 28% of those who received it responded.  More than half of the respondents were MFIs (54%) and 90% of the responses were from African professionals. 

96% of respondents said they had attended the conference, which remains most popular and is the flagship event of the week.  
The most appreciated sessions of the conference were the panel on digital innovation for institutional resilience (session 2), inclusive finance and the green economy (session 6) and the opening plenary on the effects of current and future crises.

The most valued aspects were the organisation, the quality of the interventions and the content offered, as well as the networking opportunities. However, it is recommended that the format of the sessions be revised to make them more dynamic and to allow more time for exchanges between speakers and the audience. Survey participants also suggested expanding virtual networking opportunities with a platform that offers more options.  

Regarding the Investor Fair, the most appreciated aspects were the number of meetings organised during the day and the availability of investors (highlighted by MFIs). Regarding the suggestions for improving the event, participants suggested lengthening the speed-dating sessions, which were sometimes considered too short, bringing the Fair forward to the beginning of SAM and possibly extending its duration to at least 2 days.  

With regard to the Innovators' Village, the participants appreciated the variety of innovations presented, while inviting the organisers to extend the Village over several days to encourage participation during the week.

The training sessions were highly appreciated for their relevance and quality, but the tight timetable and unclear registration system sometimes caused slight frustration among participants. 

Finally, the length and structure of the week, the time of year (fourth quarter) and the frequency (every two years) all received high marks (4 out of 5 or more). 

The fact that all the sponsors who participated in the survey were willing to confirm their support for the next edition remains a sign of success for the event. 

The organisers would like to thank all those who took the time to share their opinions and suggestions to offer interesting ideas to work on toward a richer 2023, more in line with the needs and expectations of the participants and above all for the benefit of the inclusive finance sector in Africa.