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From the Fringe to the Center: Assessing the State of the Off-Grid Appliance Market in 2020
Energy access is about much more than connecting households to the grid, or getting them a rooftop solar panel. People also need access to life-changing appliances. But as Jenny Corry Smith at CLASP and Michael Tsan at Dalberg Advisors explain, these appliances still aren't reaching many households in rural sub-Saharan Africa. They share key insights from the new State of the Off-grid Appliance Market Report on how the sector can address this growing priority.
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- Energy
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Mobile Money Providers Score a Major Win – But Are They at Risk of Losing it All?
According to the GSMA’s recently launched 2019 State of the Industry report, mobile money achieved some major milestones last year: There are now more than 1 billion accounts, and for the first time, the majority of transaction values are digital. But according to Arunjay Katakam, mobile money providers will soon face a new challenge that could upend their industry, as internet-based "over-the-top" payments providers are poised to transform the competitive landscape.
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- Finance, Technology
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The Clock is Ticking on Energy Access: Exploring Factor[e] Ventures’ Big Bet on Mini-Grids
Since 2010, the number of people without energy access has decreased from almost 1.2 billion to 840 million. But while that's encouraging, the world is not on track to meet SDG7’s goal of universal electrification. What's more, as Amanda DelCore at Factor[e] Ventures points out, more connections may not always equal more access. In light of these realities, she explores why Factor[e] has built its energy access thesis around mini-grids.
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Is India the Next Battleground for African Fintech Startups?
As East African fintech startups look for growth opportunities in the face of increasing competition, many are considering expanding into new countries – and India is a top target. Analysts with BFA explore why these startups' established business models and tested skills give them a solid chance to succeed – and why the Indian market nevertheless presents a formidable challenge.
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- Finance, Technology
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Optimizing Online Auctions: How Technology Can Help to Alleviate Poverty among Smallholder Farmers, One Bid at a Time
World Bank data shows that 78% of the world’s poorest people are farmers. A critical challenge they face is the lack of infrastructure to improve their market access, price transparency and competitive position in relation to more powerful downstream buyers. Yanchong Zheng at the MIT Sloan School of Management explores a digital auction platform in India that's addressing this power imbalance – and shares some ways it can be optimized for the benefit of farmers.
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- Agriculture
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And the Winners of NextBillion’s Most Influential Article of 2019 Contest Are …
Tough questions and tougher answers: NextBillion's most influential articles of 2019 – as rated by our readers – confronted some confounding new realities in emerging markets business, and the potential futures they portend. And here are the winners! Thank you to the hundreds of readers who cast their ballots during the holiday period – and especially to the guest writers who shared these insightful pieces.
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- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Environment, Finance, Health Care, Impact Assessment, Investing, Technology
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Insights, Analysis and Debate: Vote for the Top NextBillion Article of 2019
Another year has come and gone, and it's time for NextBillion to select our most influential articles of 2019. As usual, we’re turning to you, our readers, for help. We've selected our 12 most-read articles of the year, and we invite you to vote for the one that impacted your thinking the most. You can vote up to 12 times during the voting period, which runs from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2. The winner will be announced on Jan. 3. As always, thank you for reading, contributing content to, and engaging with NextBillion!
- Categories
- Education, Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Technology
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Smallholders as Customers, Not Pupils: Making the Case for Good Agricultural Practices
Good agricultural practices offer smallholders the promise of improved food safety, food quality and environmental stewardship. But they also bring the risks of implementing costly new methods and standards. To overcome farmers' reluctance to adopt these practices, Ben Fowler of MarketShare Associates and Clara Yoon at MEDA write that agricultural organizations should adopt a customer-centric approach – treating smallholders as customers rather than beneficiaries of know-how.
- Categories
- Agriculture
