Business Games
A success model blazes a trail around the world.
Business games by German Sparkassenstiftung Eastern Africa (DSIK) are an international brand for an innovative interactive learning experience. Learning with simulations provides knowledge far away from mere theory. Interaction, practical exercise, and the motivation to finish the game as the winner lead to high learning success.
Participants interact in groups, taking the role of managers and simulating the transactions and decisions of a Microfinance Institution (MFI), small business, a farm or even a private household. In doing so, prior knowledge and experience are directly applied and expanded by sharing experience with other participants.
DSIK offers 4 different business games for different target groups across its project activities in Eastern Africa.
MFI Management Game
This is one of DSIKs computer-based simulations for vocational education targeting executives of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs). In groups of 4 to 5, participants simulate real-life management decision-making processes, aiming to develop a sustainable growth strategy in a competitive microfinance market. This kind of practice-oriented vocational training enables executives of MFIs and SACCOs to effectively manage their financial institutions and to resiliently respond to unexpected economic shocks in their target markets. This will ultimately contribute to a more financially resilient microfinance sector in DSIK’s project countries in Eastern Africa. This is of special importance since the microfinance sector’s target groups i.e. the poor and marginalized population groups, are particularly vulnerable in view of unexpected economic shocks, resulting from either climate change (more frequent and intense extreme weather events), politic instability or health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MFI Management Game has already been implemented three times in Eastern Africa. In 2021, after evaluating past training experiences, DSIK saw potential in better preparing participants for the simulation training and in adapting the contents of the MFI Management Simulation Game itself to the East African context. Consequently, DSIK developed a three-day MFI Management Training to close potential gaps in the participants’ technical knowledge prior to the simulation game. This modular combination of theory and practice, with the MFI Management Game as the last module in a holistic MFI Management Training, allows for a demand-oriented state-of-the-art vocational training for MFI/SACCO executives.
The MFI Management Game can be implemented using either a physical or a hybrid training approach. In the virtual classroom, participants can not only test their acquired knowledge and skills in a simulated market but also benefit from an international knowledge and experience exchange.
Micro Business Game
A highly interactive training for micro entrepreneurs and for everyone who is interested to learn in practice how the success and sustainability of start-ups and small businesses can be improved. It is a 4-day management game for micro-entrepreneurs to teach them the basics of entrepreneurship skills. It is meant for people who are already owning or intending to start a MSME (Micor, Small or Medium Enterprise). The game follows an illustrative and effective practical learning approach which enables participants to easily understand business processes and get accustomed with the necessary skills. The participants take on the role of a manager of a small fruit store. During the training, they form teams and encounter different events like growth potentials, challenges as the employer, business threats and market opportunities. Playfully, the participants gain sharper insights into basic business administration procedures. They discover how to manage their enterprise more competently.
The Micro Business Game is conducted through trainings of master trainers and trainings of beneficiaries in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Farmers Business Game
The Farmers Business Game is a highly interactive training for small-holder farmers, emerging farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs who want to improve their skills for a successful and sustainable farm management. The overall objective of the Farmers Business Game is to promote financial literacy and raise awareness for the importance of financial planning, applying an experience-based approach.
Farmers Business Games are conducted through trainings of trainers and trainings of beneficiaries in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Savings Game
The Savings Game is a highly interactive training tool for private households, young people and small family businesses that wish to learn the art of efficient family budget management and savings mobilization. In the haptic board simulation Savings Game, participants take part in a three-round learning experience that will prove to be both challenging and rewarding. They form teams and manage a family’s budget. In teams, the participants of this haptic Business Game simulate a family of five, jointly managing their household budget. Each family team attempts to use its budget as far-seeing and efficiently as possible to achieve a predetermined family goal. The more successful and economical a family team is, the higher the score on the scale of living quality. The winner is the team, which has achieved the family goal and has reached the highest quality-of-life score. Thus, the participants become more aware of the benefits of budget planning and grasp the opportunities inherent in savings.
The Savings Game is conducted through trainings of trainers and trainings of beneficiaries in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania.
