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Hike beats WhatsApp to launching messenger app payments in India
Hike, which is introducing version 5.0 today, is starting out with peer-to-peer and bank-to-bank payment options, the former being an in-app wallet that is not dependent on a bank account and the latter a service powered by India’s government-backed UPI payment system. Beyond sending cash to each other, Hike has also introduce a ‘blue packet’ feature that lets users gift digital envelopes of cash for special occasions, such as birthdays.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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U.N. glimpses into blockchain future with eye scan payments for refugees
Iris recognition devices at the checkouts of the camp's supermarket authenticate customers' identities and deduct what they spend from sums they receive as aid from the World Food Program (WFP).
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
- Tags
- refugees
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How Vodafone is supporting health delivery in Africa
By working with startups and NGOs operating in developing countries, communication giants have access to an important intelligence network helping them to understand development needs and enable better coverage for emerging markets. And the development community, in turn, can scale solutions for wider and faster impact.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Smartphones: Under pressure from Chinese companies, Panasonic to exit low-end phones segment
Japan's Panasonic Corp, about a century-old powerhouse in consumer electronics, wouldn't sell feature-and entry-level smartphones in India any longer because of the intense competition from Chinese brands. In a strategy overhaul, Panasonic would also bring the distribution responsibility in-house, and pare down the market-share targets to about 5% in two years from initial projections running into two digits.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Fintech: Africa’s payments and remittances space becoming crowded
Disrupt Africa last week released its Finnovating for Africa: Exploring the African Fintech Ecosystem report, which looks at key trends in terms of the location, focus, fundraising successes and chances of acquisition of fintech start-ups. We asked Tom Jackson, co-founder of Disrupt Africa, about the report’s major takeaways.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech
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Why mPesa will not be an instant hit in Nigeria
Having since expanded to 10 additional countries within and outside (Albania, Romania, Afghanistan and India) the African continent, mPesa has grown to a platform with over 29.5 million active customers and 287,400 agents. In 2016 alone, it processed about 6 billion transactions, at a peak rate of 529 transactions per second.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Payment Startups Lead Way In Africa’s Booming FinTech Scene
The report finds there has been a boom in the fintech space over the last two years, with more than half of the fintech startups currently operating launching after January 2015.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, remittances
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Can a for-profit company bring connectivity to ultra-remote villages?
An additional 4 million people will soon be able to make and receive calls, send messages and access basic internet services as a result of the multi-million dollar investment in Africa Mobile Networks — a commercial company that builds solar-powered mobile network base stations in ultra-rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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