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Digital transactions decline for third straight month in India
Digital payments, which saw a huge jump post demonetisation, is seeing some form of correction in transaction numbers and value of payments for the third month in a row in 2017. All major forms of digital payments, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) along with mobile wallets and plastic cards, have seen a reduction in transaction numbers.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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WhatsApp reportedly in talks to integrate with a mobile payment platform in India
Late last year, India ceased circulation of its two highest-denomination bank notes in a bid to tackle the flow of money associated with corruption and terrorist activities. The move fuelled the popularity of mobile wallet solutions, such as Paytm which has amassed over 200 million wallet users, providing a significant incentive for Samsung to integrate the service with Samsung Pay in time for its Indian launch.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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Feature phones made a comeback in Africa as smartphone growth slowed last year
After a decade of strong growth, the expected crossover of smartphones finally overtaking feature phone usage in Africa did not happen last year. In fact, feature phones had a bit of a surge. Smartphone shipments to the continent grew by only 3.4% year on year—a sharp slump compared to double-digit growth rates recorded in recent years according to data from IDC, a technology research firm.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kenyan mobile government bond sales cross 50% uptake
The Kenyan government's mobile phone-based bond, M-Akiba, has crossed the 50 percent subscription rate, raising optimism that it will hit the target ahead of time, reports Business Daily. By 14:30 hrs on 29 March, at least 61,000 people had registered on the platform, and bought KES 75.2 million worth of the bond through M-Pesa and Airtel Money.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Quest for new antibiotics gets first major funding from global partnership
A major global partnership aimed at fighting superbugs announced Thursday that it is investing up to $48 million in research projects, including potentially the first new classes of antibiotics in decades, to target the deadliest drug-resistant bacteria.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Tags
- research
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Vodacom launches mobile solutions for expecting mums
Vodacom through one of their platforms, Siyakha which means ‘we are building’ in isiZulu, has launched a mobile solution called Mum and Baby that offers maternal support to expectant mothers.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why most healthcare start-ups are bleeding
Not many digital healthcare start-up has achieved break-even mainly because of the absence of ‘assisted e-commerce’ in an industry driven mostly by doctors, pharmaceutical companies and their associations.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Kenyan diaspora is the biggest sender of mobile money
To mark the 10th anniversary of mobile money service M-PESA, WorldRemit has released new data showing that the Kenyan diaspora is the biggest sender of digital remittances to mobile accounts. Transfers to mobile money accounts make up 93% of WorldRemit transactions to Kenya now – showing that Kenyans continue to be early adopters of innovative technology, even when abroad.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments
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