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From People to Packages: How a Nigerian Ride-Hailing Business Weathered the Pandemic by Shifting to Last-Mile Delivery
The effects of COVID-19 have impacted business around the world, and consumer-focused sectors in Africa have faced particular challenges. As Nikhil Goel at Gokada explains, the crisis has exposed the urgent need for digital-first approaches to work, shopping and other aspects of daily life – and opened new opportunities for nimble enterprises that can tap into this growing demand. He explores how Gokada has successfully navigated the pandemic by shifting its business model from ride-sharing to last-mile delivery.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Technology, Transportation
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Vote for NextBillion’s Most Influential Article of 2021
As an open forum for emerging markets business, NextBillion publishes around 150 original, guest-written articles per year, covering enterprises, innovations, challenges and opportunities across multiple sectors and geographies. Each December we select the 12 most-read articles of the past year to include in our "Most Influential Article of the Year" contest. We invite you to vote for the article that impacted you the most in 2021. You can vote up to one time per hour during the two-week voting period, which runs from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Energy, Finance, Impact Assessment, Investing, Technology
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Accelerating Digital Transformation: Why Technology is the Key to Eliminating the MSME Finance Gap in Emerging Markets
According to the IFC, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging markets face a finance gap of $5.2 trillion every year. Since MSMEs are responsible for 70% of job opportunities in these countries, this gap must be addressed. According to Brian Pallas at Opportunity Network, that’s where digital technologies can offer a solution. He explores how emerging innovations offer alternative, tech-enabled means of financing for MSMEs, and how business leaders and policymakers can support these enterprises' digital transformation.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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India’s Unconventional COVID-19 Recovery: How Platformization and Digitalisation Can Build an Inclusive Post-Pandemic Economy
Most of India's labour force is employed in the informal sector, and these workers have faced unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic: Over 78% of them lost their livelihoods in the initial lockdown, and many remain unemployed or underemployed. But Chhavi Banswal at Ola Mobility Institute highlights a silver lining behind these dark clouds – accelerated digitalisation and platformization. She explores how gig/platform workers have become a key part of the country's economy, and discusses a recent report showing how digital platforms can expand employment opportunities for all.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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The Ins and Outs of Launching a Digital Savings Product in Kenya: Regulatory Guidance for Fintech Startups
Kenya is among the most advanced markets in the world in terms of fintech innovation and digital financial services. But according to Abby Butkus at BFA Global's Catalyst Fund, this innovation has yet to extend to digital savings, where the uncertain regulatory environment requires startups to be creative in their approach. She discusses four ways startups are approaching the regulatory process for their digital savings products, and shares a set of guides Catalyst Fund has released to aid founders in navigating the regulatory environments in Kenya and other countries.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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The Systemic Reasons Behind the SGB Investment Gap: Why Investors Need Systems Data in Emerging Markets
Despite over-performing returns, venture capital investment in emerging markets accounts for only about 10% of total VC capital invested, and a significant financing gap remains for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in these environments. Jason Eaves at Discovered Markets presents several multifaceted reasons for this gap, and presents an unexploited solution: using systems data to overcome the biases and lack of market visibility that limit both investors' and other organizations' ability to effectively support SGBs in these markets.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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Embracing Digital Solutions in Last Mile Distribution: Six Steps for Introducing New Tools to Sales Agents
COVID-19 has accelerated the shift towards greater digitalization that was already well underway in the last mile distribution sector. According to Gerwin Jansen and Yvonne Achieng at Bopinc, more digital services are coming onto the market to meet this demand – but regardless of the benefits of these tools, if sales agents don’t embrace them the business impacts will not be realized. They explore how last mile distributors can successfully embed digital solutions in their sales teams, presenting a six-step approach to rolling out new digital services to agents.
- Categories
- Technology
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How Low- to Middle-Income Internet Users View Data Privacy and Protection: New Research From India and the United States
One side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased adoption and expansion of digital services, including among low- to middle-income users. Decodis CEO Daryl Collins argues that it is becoming increasingly important to create a sense of inclusion and confidence among these consumers, as their usage of these services grows. She shares research findings that show how a sample of low- to middle-income customers in the U.S. and India are navigating the digital world – and what they think about the data-sharing these services are based on.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications