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Mobile money giant M-Pesa is getting debit card to compete with banks
Safaricom, parent of the M-Pesa mobile money platform, is eying a piece of the $13.5 billion in annual transactions in Kenya’s payment cards industry with a new debit card. In its pilot stage, the new card, which is largely expected to challenge commercial banks for card commissions, is linked to its Lipa na M-Pesa (pay with M-Pesa) service, which enables traders and individuals to settle bills at different points of sale across the country.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
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Samsung Pay launches in Brazil
Samsung Electronics will roll out Samsung Pay in Brazil tomorrow (19 July), the first market in South America to introduce its mobile payment service.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Latin America
- Tags
- fintech
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Chivas Regal’s “The Venture” rewards social entrepreneurs around the world
Thursday night, “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah announced the winners of Chivas Regal’s “The Venture”, an international contest open to social entrepreneurs who are using their business as a force for good. With a dedicated fund of $1M, “The Venture” is striving to enable social entrepreneurs around the world to scale and gain exposure.
- Categories
- Technology
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All That Data: What Health Researchers Can Do With Pokemon GO
Nearly one in five Australians use an activity tracking device daily or nearly daily. Of the people who use activity trackers, three-quarters are prepared to share that data, on the proviso that it is anonymously used for health and medical research.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Harnessing Mobile Technologies to Make Matatus, and Kenya, Safer
Kenya's roads are deadly due in no small part to accidents involving "matatus," the ubiquitous minibuses. A key problem: The more passengers they pick up, the more matatu drivers get paid. So Echo Mobile and a team from the University of California at Berkeley recently launched the SmartMatatu project to study driver behavior and how they might be incentivized differently.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
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Apollo, Airtel bring health app to Africa
Apollo Hospitals and Airtel Africa have inked a pact to enhance healthcare cooperation across Africa. According to statements fromt he companies, the Memorandum of Understanding is focused on enabling easy access to Apollo specialists in the region.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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India and Kenya bolster cooperation in defence and health
India and Kenya on Monday bolstered their cooperation in the field of defence and health with India handing over 30 field ambulances to Kenya, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the gift of a telecobalt cancer therapy machine and the setting up of a 100-bed cancer hospital in Kenya.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
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WeChat targets mobile wallet technology in South Africa
In November last year, WeChat South Africa launched its wallet tech which allows electronic cash transfers and the ability to transact via cards verified by Visa and MasterCard. This month, WeChat South Africa has partnered with Stuff Magazine to allow readers of the print title to buy featured Incredible Connection products by scanning a QR code via the app.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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