The Multi-trillion Dollar Crisis and New Market Opportunity
Over 1.5 billion informal workers across Asia, Africa, and Latin America are neither eligible for pension benefits, nor saving for their old age. Each of them faces a high risk of extreme old-age poverty
$1 trillion
Annual cost of a modest, tax-funded social pension for these informal workers
$15 trillion
New long-term savings in a decade if even 25% of these workers save $1/ day for old age
At Universal Pensions, we help governments, regulators, pension funds, and DFIs build inclusive digital micro-pension systems that make long-term saving easy and affordable for informal sector workers.
Contact us to explore how we can jointly build a secure and dignified future for all.
Proven Impact. Global Partnerships.
Our partnerships span across continents, working with governments, regulators, and financial institutions to build inclusive pension systems that deliver real impact.
Rwanda
A Pioneer in Digital Pension Inclusion
We worked with MINECOFIN, AFR and RSSB to help design and launch Ejo Heza - Africa’s first government-backed, national ID-linked, fully digital pension and insurance scheme. In just five years, Ejo Heza has enrolled nearly 4 million voluntary savers - over 50% women - and helped mobilise ~RwF 75 billion in new long-term savings.
Kenya
Powering Inclusive Pension and Insurance
We have partnered with Zamara and Prudential to customise our pensionTech platform and pension inclusion model for Kenya. We helped co-design and launch Fahari - a simple and flexible national-ID-linked integrated micro-pension and insurance solution, tailored for the country’s 17 million informal workers.
India
Scaling Pension and Insurance Inclusion
We’ve designed and field-tested five non-linear digital platforms to deliver easy, secure access to pensions, micro-mutual funds, and insurance for over 400 million non-salaried Indians. We’re now partnering with leading pension funds, AMCs, and insurers to build a mass-market savings ecosystem for self-employed women, gig workers, and farm communities.
Uganda
Building a National Digital Pension Scheme
Over the years, we partnered with URBRA (Uganda’s pension regulator), FSD Uganda, and The World Bank to assess the feasibility of a voluntary micro-pension scheme for Uganda’s 15 million informal workers. We’re now working with URBRA and APSA to build and pilot a national-level digital Long-Term Saving Scheme under URBRA’s Regulatory Sandbox.
Bangladesh
Co-Designing a National-Scale Micro-Pension Solution
We’re working with BRAC Microfinance to design and build an integrated lifecycle savings and insurance solution - including micro-pensions - for over 11 million micro-credit clients, 4.5 million RMG workers, and some 2 million gig workers. The product design is grounded in insights from a national survey of 140,000 self-employed women led by BRAC.
Papua New Guinea
Building a Digital Superannuation Marketplace
We’re working with the Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG), CEFI and the Association of Superannuation Funds of PNG (ASFPNG) to customise our pensionTech platform and help launch a national digital superannuation marketplace for self-employed workers and farm communities. The initiative is being piloted under a BPNG Regulatory Sandbox and aims to expand long-term savings and protection to millions currently excluded.
Our Pan-African Commitment with APSA
In partnership with the Africa Pension Supervisors Association (APSA), we are driving a continent-wide effort to help national regulators design and deploy secure, inclusive, and scalable micro-pension systems across sub-Saharan Africa.
Our collaboration spans technical assistance for feasibility studies, pilot programs under regulatory sandboxes, supported by regional roadshows, policy roundtables, capacity-building workshops, and access to white-labelled pensionTech and financial literacy tools.
Our Solutions
Comprehensive suite of services to build, implement, and scale inclusive pension systems for informal workers worldwide
White-Label pensionTech Platform
A fully customisable, and API enabled digital platform built to administer and deliver DC micro-pension and insurance solutions to informal workers. Enables seamless onboarding, contributions collection and reconciliation, and benefits delivery. Low upfront costs, and scalable on a variable-cost basis.
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Strategic Advisory and Market Insights
We support policymakers and pension stakeholders with tailored research, feasibility studies, and market diagnostics. Research-led insights guide the design of sustainable products, governance frameworks, and coverage strategies based on real-world demand and constraints.
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Turnkey Design and Implementation
From concept to pilot-testing, we help build inclusive micro-pension systems end-to-end. We bring our global field-tested model, customisation support, and technical leadership to accelerate national rollouts with confidence.
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Pension System Diagnostics and Reform
We assess existing pension programs for both salaried and informal workers—identifying strengths, gaps, and reform opportunities. Our evaluations inform practical, actionable improvements for better outreach, equity, and long-term sustainability.
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Comprehensive Educational Resources
Our training kits combine visual storytelling, interactive tools, and practical guides to make complex pension concepts accessible to workers at all literacy levels. Each component is designed to build understanding progressively and encourage voluntary participation.
Field-Tested Effectiveness
Proven to increase enrollment rates and understanding among target populations across diverse cultural contexts.
Multilingual Support
Available in multiple languages with culturally appropriate messaging and imagery for maximum accessibility.
Modular Design
Mix and match components to create customized training programs that fit your specific deployment needs.
Pension Inclusion and the SDG2030 Agenda
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for inclusive development that “leaves no one behind” — across all ages. With populations ageing rapidly, ensuring income security in old age is now critical to achieving these global goals. Universal Pensions is fully aligned with the SDG2030 agenda — especially these key goals:
Goal 1: No Poverty
Help reduce old-age poverty by enabling millions of informal workers to save for retirement and avoid extreme financial insecurity.
Goal 5: Gender Equality
Empower self-employed women to take control of their financial futures using simple, digital, mobile-first pension tools.
Goal 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
Expand access to secure, long-term savings, insurance, and financial services —- especially for low-income and informal workers.
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Work with governments, regulators, DFIs and the private sector to
Climate Change and Pension Inclusion Inter-linkages
Building resilient financial systems that address both social inclusion and environmental sustainability
Agricultural Resilience
Pension inclusion and climate change action can be mutually reinforcing in achieving SDGs. Encouraging pension coverage among farm communities can contribute to poverty reduction, social equity, and resilience-building.
ESG Integration
Integrating ESG principles into pension fund investments can promote environment-friendly practices and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Climate Adaptation
By ensuring that informal workers, especially women, have access to pension and insurance solutions, policymakers can enhance women's resilience and adaptation capabilities in the face of climate change.
Ready to Drive Sustainable Impact?
Join us in building pension systems that ensure a secure and dignified retirement. For everyone. Everywhere.
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