NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, November 7, 2014

LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 AFRICA: Zahir Khoja, VP, global channels at MasterCard, said Africa is attractive as an untapped opportunity and warned many companies think they can implement a “plug and play solution” without realising that “sometimes there is no socket” to do this. Instead they need to understand that an African-specific solution is needed.

“Africa needs Africa,” said Khoja (pictured). “We need to bring the experience of people who understand local issues.”

Moreover, while it may appear that mobile operators can reach out to their customers with mobile wallets, Khoja claims it’s not that simple. “There are two sides to the equation. How will customers use mobile wallets? Is it going to solve a problem?”