-
UNCDF releases its 1st Digital Financial Services Toolkit
UNCDF’s MicroLead program team is proud to introduce its series of practical toolkits titled, "How to Succeed in Your Digital Journey: a Series of Toolkits for Financial Service Providers”. The toolkits (available both in French and English) are designed for financial service providers (FSPs) who want to go digital.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North America
- Tags
- fintech, microfinance
-
An Opportunity for Small Businesses Expanding Affordable Internet Access: Grant Applications Open
New Sun Road designed, built and operated the first 24/7 metered electricity service on an off-grid island chain in the southern part of Uganda. It's exactly the type of small business – providing a critical service, creating jobs – that Microsoft aims to support with its Affordable Access Initiative. Applications are open for a new round of grants through the initiative, and will be accepted through Jan. 31.
- Categories
- Technology
-
Report: This Is What Would Happen to Kenya’s Economy if M-Pesa Was to Collapse
A Treasury report warns that an M-Pesa outage would cause loss of revenue and reduce confidence in the mobile money transfer services. FILE PHOTOA Treasury report warns that an M-Pesa outage would cause loss of revenue and reduce confidence in the mobile money transfer services.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
-
An MVP for Africa: Adapting Poverty Solutions to New Continents and Contexts
Fundación Capital has had success fighting extreme poverty in Latin America, using the Graduation model. Now it's transporting the model to new cultures and contexts on the other side of the Atlantic, starting in Tanzania and Mozambique. Fundación discusses the challenges it has faced in adapting its model to new languages and cultures, and the lessons it has learned in the process.
- Categories
- Education, Technology
-
Telling Mosquitoes Apart With a Cellphone
Simple cellphones can tell one type of mosquito from another by their hums, which may be useful in fighting mosquito-borne diseases, according to new research from Stanford University.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- North America
-
Uganda is accusing schools backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates of “teaching pornography”
For much of the past year, Bridge International Academies has faced tough criticism of its operations and business model in Africa. With its scripted teaching plans, Bridge offers standardized education in developing countries through its chain of low-cost private schools. But critics contend that the startup, which is backed by investors including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and the World Bank, hired cheap teachers and ran its schools amid poor sanitary conditions.
- Categories
- Education, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Paid, But Not Paying Off: Why G2P Payments Are Not Yet Driving Financial Inclusion
In 2012, the government of South Africa started making government to person (G2P) payments directly into bank accounts. While that move made the payments more efficient, it's been less effective in ensuring that recipients reap the benefits of being financially included. Turns out, very few, if any, of these recipients use their new bank account for anything other than withdrawing their cash.
- Categories
- Technology
-
Indian government asks Paytm, Oxigen wallet to digitize rural cash
The government has dialled Paytm and Oxigen Wallet to help digitise cash transactions in rural India. The rural development ministry wants to rope in digital wallet firms to make the Rs 40,000 crore turnover of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) cashless and broaden financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.