-
Unpacking NextBillion’s Reader Survey: What the Responses Show – And How They’ll Shape Our Coverage
You likely noticed that NextBillion has been conducting a reader survey over the past few months. But you may not have noticed that the survey recently concluded. In the spirit of transparency – and because we find the results interesting – we’ve compiled some highlights from the 500+ responses. We also share our initial reactions to this reader feedback, and discuss how this survey data might impact new editorial directions on the site.
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Alarm Over Numbers of Mobile Loan Defaulters in Kenya
Currently, there are more than 380,000 Kenyans that have so far defaulted on loans taken from mobile money lenders according to a comprehensive report by Metropol Corporation CEO, Sam Omukoko.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
-
Paypal to invest $750M, and Dragoneer $100m, into MercadoLibre, Argentina’s e-commerce powerhouse
“Digital commerce in Latin America is experiencing tremendous growth and MercadoLibre is well-positioned for continued leadership,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal, in a statement. “We’ve been impressed with the digital commerce and payments ecosystem Marcos and his team have built.”
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
-
Scaling Access to Finance: Two Recent Studies Explore the Supply and Demand Sides of Funding ‘Missing Middle’ Enterprises in Emerging Markets
Over $5 trillion: That’s the estimated size of the financing gap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries – a shortfall that's particularly problematic for the much-discussed “missing middle.” Since these businesses form the backbone of local economic growth and job creation in many communities, we need to better understand the challenges they face, says Karina Avakyan at Triple Jump. She explores two recent publications that address both sides of SMEs’ financing equation.
- Categories
- Finance
-
Safaricom increases e-commerce stakes after Alibaba Group deal
“This partnership seeks to connect Kenyans to even more business opportunities by enabling them to seamlessly source, purchase and import goods from the world’s leading manufacturers,” Safaricom Chief customer officer Sylvia Mulinge said.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Can sustainable companies get a lower cost of capital?
Green bonds have been making headlines in the sustainable finance world the past few years because of their rapid growth. Emerging this year as a rising star in sustainable finance are green and sustainability loans.
- Categories
- Finance
-
From Credit Cards to the ATM: Why Interoperability is the Critical Next Step for Mobile Payments
One of the first modern disruptors to established payment methods was the credit card, which allowed people to simply sign for their purchases and be billed later. Then came the ATM, which helped to establish a web of bank networks. Mobile money systems are the latest disruptor, particularly in low-income markets where banking systems have not always served customers. But to grow and be financially inclusive, mobile money will need to replicate many of the same factors that drove the popularity of credit cards and ATMs, argues Vahid Monadjem, CEO of Nomanini.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
-
Jan Dhan Yojana’s social security feature has failed to take off
The claim numbers for two in-built social security schemes under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana accounts are at abysmally low level of less than 10,000 claims paid so far.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.