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Why COVID-19 Could Delay Interswitch, Africa’s Next Big IPO
The tech firm’s path from startup to IPO aspirant traces back to the vision of founder Mitchell Elegbe, a Nigerian electrical engineering graduate whose entire career has pretty much been Interswitch.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mobile Marketing Experts Show How Fintech Apps Will Emerge Fighting Fit From The Covid-19 Crisis
Interest in and comfort with mobile finance was strong ahead of the crisis, with the sector showing an impressive growth trajectory that started last year.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Press Release: Indian Leaders Call for Improvement in Rural Healthcare via Solarization of Clinics
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has highlighted several existing systemic gaps in services, especially to the rural poor. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure is one of them.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
- Region
- South Asia
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Banking on Human Capital: What Financial Institutions Need to Do – Now – to Enable a COVID-19 Recovery
Every crisis carries its own unique signature, and COVID-19 is likely to be defined by a series of flare-ups and lockdowns, says Elisabeth Rhyne at the Financial Access Initiative. Within that scenario, the financial inclusion sector needs to determine the most effective ways to reduce the pandemic's impact on vulnerable people and businesses – and it needs to start immediately.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Keeping the Lights On: How PAYGo Solar Can Offer Customer Relief During COVID-19
Off-grid solar delivers essential energy to millions of people, helping make households, business and institutions more resilient to the COVID-19 crisis. But as analysts at BFA, CGAP and GOGLA explain, the pandemic threatens the industry, particularly its very successful pay-as-you-go business model. They explore how companies could enable customers to continue using their solar home systems during the pandemic, with reduced – or even without – customer payments.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
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Cambodian Workers Owe $10 Billion in Microfinance Debt as COVID-19 Wipes Out Incomes
As COVID-19 wrecks Cambodia’s economy, workers and families face added risks from record-high levels of microfinance debt. Without income, many will be unable to repay their microloans and may lose their land or be forced further into debt.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- microfinance
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Can Emerging Economies Afford a “Green” Recovery From COVID-19?
The dramatic slowdown in industrial production, energy demand and transport activity in the first quarter of 2020 has led to significantly lower levels of air pollution, sparking debate over whether the coronavirus outbreak will lead to long-term shifts in consumer and industrial behaviours that could reorient economic policy towards sustainable development goals.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
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Viewpoint: Downturn Signals Opportunity for Climate-Aligned Investing
Demand for sustainable ETFs has grown since the market downturn. Recent analysis from BlackRock highlights how sustainable ETFs keep attracting assets, in comparison with traditional ETFs, which are experiencing outflows in light of the market selloff. As of March 24, net inflows to sustainable ETFs had reached $14 billion, exceeding half of the 2019 total amount.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Environment, Investing