-
The Power of Individuals: Why Formal Institutions Aren’t the Only Ones Driving Africa’s Innovation and Fintech Space
There’s a lot of attention on the businesses, NGOs and other institutions reshaping Africa’s fintech ecosystem. But there are equally important efforts underway – conducted not by institutions themselves, but by the individuals working within them – to build bridges between organizations, and create support networks for entrepreneurs and innovators. In this Q&A, Zianah Muddu, General Secretary of the Africa Fintech Network, discusses the pivotal – often overlooked – impact of this work.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Tackling Africa’s Youth Employment Challenge: Can Social Enterprise Play a Role?
Social enterprise is becoming an increasingly popular business model in Africa – a clear sign that the continent is gradually shifting from aid-led solutions to enterprise-led solutions. Yet despite their potential, social enterprise markets and ecosystems remain in their infancy, says Stephen Hunt at the Challenges Group. He explores how social enterprise can address one of Africa’s key development challenges: employment and job creation for young people.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
African Fintech Firm Flutterwave Raises $35M, Partners With Worldpay
With the funding, Flutterwave will invest in technology and business development to grow market share in existing operating countries, CEO Olugbenga Agboola — aka GB — told TechCrunch.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
The Hidden Value of Untapped Ideas: Three Development Sector Approaches that Deserve a Second Look
The development challenges facing African countries – from income inequality to crippling infrastructure gaps – are huge and growing. But while tackling these issues will require innovative responses, “innovative” may not necessarily mean “new.” Aubrey Hruby at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center explores three ideas that the development sector discarded – or never considered in the first place – which may hold the key to solving some of Africa’s biggest challenges.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Transportation
-
Women Feeding Africa: Innovative Business Solutions to Close the Gender Gap in Agricultural Productivity
Women quite literally feed sub-Saharan Africa: They make up 50% of its agricultural labor force and contribute 60-80% of its food. Yet they also face unique constraints that limit their productivity and reduce their returns. What would happen if women could access the same productivity resources as men? Agnes Makena and Racheal Wangari at Intellecap explore that question, highlighting enterprises and initiatives with innovative solutions to support Africa’s female farmers.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
Is Vertical Integration Good or Bad for Off-Grid Energy Access? Let’s Get Specific
Pay-as-you-go off-grid energy business models are often vertically integrated, including elements of manufacturing, distribution, consumer financing, payment collection and after-sales service. But some believe it's more cost-effective to outsource many of these aspects of the business model to service providers. Paul Clyde and Colm Fay at WDI argue that vertical integration is neither inherently good, nor bad: They explore its history, and its advantages and disadvantages for the nascent off-grid energy industry.
- Categories
- Energy
-
Can an Integrated Energy Distribution Model Turn Around Africa’s Ailing Utilities?
Utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa are struggling to provide quality, cost-effective services at a profit. The reasons for this include their inability to access affordable capital, and their low revenue collection rates. According to Simon Meier at Konexa, this is one reason that electricity access in the region continues to lag behind other geographies. He explores an innovative solution Konexa is piloting: an integrated distribution model that could provide a recipe for systems change.
- Categories
- Energy
-
How Investors and Energy Providers Can Unleash Solar Growth in Uganda
The Ugandan solar market is a prime destination for local and international clean energy access investment. But many new investors are in the dark on critical issues, such as the maturity/development of local companies in the space, and the types of investments they need to propel their businesses forward. The United Nations Capital Development Fund and Challenges Uganda recently partnered to produce an in-depth market study designed to help Uganda’s fledgling solar industry take flight.