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Amazon India gets RBI nod for mobile wallet
Online marketplace Amazon India has secured a licence to operate pre-paid payment instrument (PPI) or mobile wallet in the country as it tries to compete more aggressively against rivals Snapdeal and Paytm.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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Viewpoint: The end of money
On November 8, 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the biggest financial experiment in the nation’s history. In a televised announcement, Modi gave his citizens just four hours’ notice of his controversial ruling: that virtually all the nation’s cash would be immediately taken out of circulation. All 500 and 1,000 rupee notes were instantaneously declared worthless, and the Indian population were given just 50 days to deposit their newly voided notes in their bank accounts.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- fintech
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WHO and partners provide vaccines to control meningitis C in Nigeria
A vaccination campaign is underway in Nigeria to contain an outbreak of meningitis C, a strain of meningitis which first emerged in the country in 2013. Since the beginning of this year, the country has reported 4637 suspected cases and 489 deaths across five states.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Fertility apps: The ‘next wave’ in solving global family planning crisis
Every year, lack of access to contraception causes about 85 million unplanned pregnancies and a host of negative associated health outcomes. One expert said this global health crisis can be mitigated with apps that allow women to understand and track their fertility.
- Categories
- Health Care
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M-Pesa’s Quiet Mobile Revolution 10 Years In
In the developed world, particularly in the United States, mobile payments have entered the scene with a lot of fanfare and great expectations — but haven’t delivered all that much in the way of impressive results. As of the last PYMNTS/InfoScout report on in-store mobile wallet usage, and particularly for the longest running general purpose mobile wallet in the market, Apple Pay, 19 out of 20 users who could use a mobile wallet don’t. It seems when it comes time to pay the piper in the store, consumers in the U.S. and Western Europe still kind of like their cards.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Tanzania: Dar Economy ‘Stable’ As Financial Inclusion Hits 60 Percent
Mobile phone money services have heightened financial inclusion during the past decade from just 11 per cent to over 60 per cent of the population as of now, a new report by the World Bank has revealed.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Financial Inclusion Remains a Work in Progress in South Africa
On the surface, South Africa appears to be financially inclusive compared with other emerging markets: 70% of adults, for example, have a transaction account. However, it’s not nearly as inclusive as most mature markets, and serious and stubborn gaps remain, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Bitcoin Startups BitPesa and Bitbond Deliver P2P Loans for African Businesses
Bitcoin startups BitPesa and Bitbond, based in Africa and Germany respectively, have announced a new initiative to bring financing options to businesses in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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