Articles by Jill Lagos Shemin
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
March 2
2021In the Race for Dominance in African Fintech, Partnerships With Phone Makers Are Transforming the Landscape
Corporate partnerships and acquisitions have proliferated in Africa's fintech sector in recent years, as companies fight for dominance in the growing digital payment space. Digital economy analyst Jill Lagos Shemin highlights an emerging element of this trend: alliances between mobile phone makers and payment providers and telecom operators. She explores how these partnerships can boost customer access to smartphones and digital credit, while expanding Africa's digital finance ecosystem and building tech players' footprint in this sought-after market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
April 28
2020Jill Lagos Shemin / James Dailey
The Informal Economy is Complicating Government Responses to COVID-19: Will the Crisis Push Millions Toward Formality?
As COVID-19 devastates the global economy, many governments have designed support measures to help businesses and workers survive. But as Jill Lagos Shemin and James Dailey point out, this support may be ineffective in lower-income countries, where most small businesses and their employees work in the informal economy, lacking bank accounts and even valid ID. They explore some solutions governments can pursue – and trade-offs they will have to accept.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Guest Articles
Wednesday
March 25
2020Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Push Africa’s Mobile Money Markets to the Next Level?
Kenya is arguably the world's top mobile money market, and one reason for its success is that a “trigger” event – the post-election violence of 2008 – forced the rapid, large-scale adoption of mobile payment services. Jill Lagos Shemin explores how the unique demands of the coronavirus pandemic could prove to be a similar catalyst for mobile money growth in other countries, and how providers and other stakeholders can build upon this momentum to create more inclusive digital ecosystems for underserved customers.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
January 7
2020Jill Lagos Shemin / Jessica Wallach
Digital Platforms for ‘Gig Economy’ Workers: An Intriguing Model Gains Traction in Africa
The government of Senegal has been working diligently to foster high-tech innovation in its economy – but there's one area in particular need of a digital upgrade. Researchers Jessica Wallach and Jill Lagos Shemin explore why the greatest potential impact of the digital revolution in Senegal may involve helping informal workers in the "gig economy" leverage digital platforms to find work.
- Categories
- Technology
