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How Rwanda can leverage financial technology to drive inclusion
Speaking during the opening ceremony at the Kigali Convention Centre, Dr Diane Karusisi, the chief executive of Bank of Kigali, said digital services are raising the competitive bar in every sector of the economy, one of which is the banking field.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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World Telecom Day: How data holds the key to sustainable development goals
The world is experiencing a data deluge with millions of devices and things talking to each other. According to one estimate, 90% of this data was created in the last few years only. As Eric Schmidt famously said, “There were 5 Exabyte of information created between the dawn of civilization through 2003, but that much information is now created every 2 years”.
- Categories
- Technology
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Looking For the Next Big Thing: New Partnership Builds Fintech Ecosystems in Four Emerging Start-up Markets
A new partnership between Village Capital and MetLife Foundation seeks to build the fintech ecosystems in four emerging start-up markets: Poland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine. The idea is to find, and then support, entrepreneurs working specifically in fintech who have the potential to solve real-world problems.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- financial inclusion, fintech, scale
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Kenya operators drop cross-network money surcharges
Cross-network transactions are currently possible in the country, but are complex to execute and carry additional charges.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Safaricom is planning to expand M-Pesa mobile money across Africa
Vodacom says the proposed deal gives it access to a market with “high growth, high margin, high cash generation business.” Shameel Joosub, the Vodacom Group’s chief executive, said the stake will drive M-Pesa adoption across its business.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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From Biometrics to Chatbots: Two Technology Challenges Aim to Help Governments Digitize their Economies
There is a growing consensus that emerging-market governments should digitize their economies, starting with the vast streams of payments they themselves make and receive. The DFS Lab is launching two technology challenges to fund new technologies that enable this transition: a Biometrics Challenge and a Chatbots Challenge. The deadline to enter is May 30.
- Categories
- Technology
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Brazil’s fintech boom offers new vertical opportunities for investors
In Latin America and Brazil, a lack of banking services has created a boom for entrepreneurs and investors seeking to build lucrative fintech innovators there. While 85 percent of Brazilians now live in cities, 40 percent remain excluded from traditional banking systems, according to São Paulo-based Itaú Unibanco, the largest private bank in Latin America.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Vodacom strikes $2.6B deal for Safaricom stake
Combined, Vodacom said it will now have 32 million customers in the space, “making it a formidable player in financial services on the continent”. The deal also gives Vodacom a significant footprint in Kenya.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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