-
Merchant Solutions Could Be the Answer to Mobile Money Issues
The mobile money agency system has made huge progress in increasing access to financial services and reducing the cost of transactions, though in terms of serving the “last mile” – those wishing to make single dollar transactions – there is still much to be done. But the answer may be staring us in the face, says Vahid Monadjem, CEO of Nomanini.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
INTASAVE Energy: Empowering Half a Million Africans to Improve Their Health, Education and Economy Starts with $1
A global not-for-profit organisation called INTASAVE Energy is fulfilling its vision for every person on the planet to have access to clean power through the launch of its innovative Solar Nano Grids (SONGs) project, which kick-starts in November. The first grid in Africa will be installed in Lemolo B in Kenya, a community of about 250 people, and the project will subsequently expand to over 500 communities across Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique, transforming the lives of 500,000 people within three years.
- Categories
- Energy, Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy, solar
-
Investors’ Circle Starts New $3M Funder for Impact Investments
Durham-based Investors’ Circle has closed $1 million of its latest $3 million funder, aimed at fueling a particular breed of startup.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Tags
- impact investing, solar
-
Diabetes Experts Tell G20 to Tax Sugar to Save Lives and Money
Diabetes experts called on world leaders on Thursday to use sugar taxes to fight obesity, arguing such a move would save lives and slash healthcare budgets.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
A Growing Number of Opportunities for Investors to Create Impact
There is a growing appetite for investment products that focus on impact investing and social responsibility. Just last month, BlackRock announced that it would launch a new mutual fund, the Impact U.S. Equity Fund. According to Reuters the outcomes to be measured are “green innovation, corporate citizenship, high impact disease research, ethics controversies and litigation.”
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
-
Investing for Good on Rise in Africa
Almost half of all assets under investment in three of Africa’s most significant economies are being invested for good in some way, according to new research from the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, a specialised unit at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB).
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- impact investing
-
StartUp Health Goes Global With Launch of StartUp Health Finland
Global health innovation company StartUp Health is expanding globally with the launch of StartUp Health Finland in partnership with Finpro’s Team Finland Health growth program. The partnership will further both organizations’ missions, to grow and scale the next generation of businesses and strengthen Finland’s position as a digital health leader.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
Having a Bank Account Means Very Little
The number of South Africans who use their bank account simply as a storage tool – making one withdrawal a month and then transacting using cash – rose to 11 million in 2015 from 9 million in 2014, indicating poor financial inclusion, a recent study finds.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.