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Kenya’s Mobile Finance Revolution Takes the Next Steps: Two new developments go far beyond mobile money
Kenya’s mobile finance market is evolving, and for the country’s leading financial services players, that evolution has been a profitable one. But beyond M-PESA’s remarkable payments revolution and the continued growth of M-Shwari’s mobile banking services, there are two other important developments in the Kenyan market. MicroSave founder Graham Wright discusses their impact.
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Viewpoint: Contributory Social Security Schemes Launched Last Week in India Could Be Game Changers
The prime minister launched three welfare-enhancing pension and insurance schemes on May 9. In a country where less than 10 per cent of the population has insurance cover and almost nobody in the unorganised sector has a pension plan, these three schemes are expected to play a significant role in providing social security for the poor.
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- Region
- South Asia
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Viewpoint: Does Virtual Currency’s Past Dictate Its Future?
After almost 20 years in the payments industry, I've learned to appreciate its history. That's why, with the growing popularity of virtual currency over the past couple years, I decided to do some digging into its past.
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- digital payments
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Nigeria: Cement Firm Partners With Microfinance Bank to Build 5,000 New Homes
A NEW deal has been sealed between a cement firm, Messrs United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) and microfinance bank for the building of 5,000 new housing units in the country.
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- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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- microfinance
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Cash Aid Feeds Business Surge in Northern Kenya
When the government of Kenya began giving cash instead of food aid to poor people in Kenya's drought-stricken northern region, the aim was to help them buy food more efficiently and conveniently.
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Uber Begins Testing Cash Payments in India
Uber today announced that it will begin testing a cash payments system in Hyderabad, India, marking a global first for the credit card-based mobile app. In a blog postpublished today, the company described the initiative as an "experiment" in a part of the world where many consumers prefer to pay for services in cash.
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- Region
- South Asia
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- transportation
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The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design: A new book from IDEO.org is a ‘crib sheet’ for better social innovation
IDEO.org has published The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, which showcases its 50-plus methods. IDEO.org’s Aaron Britt suggests we think of it as kind of a human-centered design crib sheet for bringing the voices and desires of the people you’re designing for into your work and as a map for iterating your way toward a successful social enterprise.
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- product design
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Financial Inclusion in Africa: “Things Are Further Behind Than People Think”
Plenty of progress has been made on increasing the size of Africa’s banked population. The trouble is, from the amount of noise that is made about the topic, you would be forgiven for thinking we had fixed the problem when we really haven’t.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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