-
Financing Agribusinesses in Africa: Mobile Money Shows More Viability
As a result of mobile money financing schemes, farming businesses, most of which are in rural areas in Africa are able to enjoy agritrade financing in form of loans, subsidies and free inputs facilitated mainly through phones. The main advantage of mobile money financing for agriculture is the elimination of cash handling by other individuals during the transfer of the money from the financing individual/organisation to the farmer or agribusiness operator. This reduces or eliminates corruption, outright theft or violence that could result when individuals have to carry cash around.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Kiva Co-founder on the Future of Microfinance
Jessica Jackley has had her hands full since stepping away from Kiva, the peer-to-peer microlender she co-founded in 2005. Between investing in startups through the Collaborative Fund; launching ProFounder, a crowdfunding site for entrepreneurs and small businesses; and consulting with companies to improve their social impact, the popular TED talker has also managed to give birth to three children. And she has a new book, Clay Water Brick: Finding Inspiration From Entrepreneurs Who Do the Most with the Least.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- crowdfunding, microfinance
-
Safaricom Launches Internet-Ready Commercial and Residential Addresses Initiative
Safaricom has announced that it will be partnering with real estate developers in an initiative that will see the launch of new smart and internet ready addresses in different parts of the country.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
When Impact Investing Stays Local
By the mid-1990s, the Houghton family, whose wealth is derived from the glass and ceramic material manufacturer Corning, was into its sixth generation. Many of the cousins felt they had lost touch and were drifting away from the family.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
-
NASA Langley Helps Drone Technology Get Its ‘Kitty Hawk Moment’
Tousands of patients at an annual outdoor free clinic in Wise County were treated to a unique sight recently when for the first time medical supplies flew in on an unmanned drone.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
The Overlooked Gender Gap: Financial Credit
It’s hard to deny the presence of gender gaps. We see evidence of them in education, income, politics, and business. But there is another gender gap that is less often discussed, and has proven to be incredibly important worldwide: the credit gap. The credit gap refers to the fact that women are still much less likely to obtain credit than men, whether from a bank or informal moneylender.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- lending
-
Sanofi Preps for ‘Profitable’ Dengue Vaccine Rollout in 20 Countries
With more than $1.5 billion in development costs and 20 years of research on the line, Sanofi ($SNY) is getting revved up to launch its world-first dengue vaccine later this year. And if the company's predictions are correct, the shot will not only be a big deal for patients in the developing world--it'll be a highly profitable product to boot.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
Global Funds Make a Beeline for Indian Banks, Finance Firms; $1.46 Billion Investment Made in 6 Months
Finance and banking firms, big and small, are raising large sums of money from foreign investors jousting for a slice of action in the world's fastest-growing major economy.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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.