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Telecom companies in Uganda face legal battle on unclaimed Mobile Money balances
Gideon Tugume, the Executive Director of Human Rights Defenders – Uganda dragged the telecoms to court demanding that they submit all unclaimed Mobile Money and Airtime balances to the state. He says the money should be sent to the consolidated fund instead of reverting to the service provider.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Ethiopia’s plan to privatize and split up its mobile phone monopoly won’t be as easy as it looks
With over 100 million people, Ethiopia has had one of the world’s fastest-growing economies for years now. Yet the landlocked nation has remained poor, with a per capita income below $800, according to the World Bank. Its journey to become a lower-middle-income nation by 2025 has also been hampered, and currently ranks 167 out of 190 in the ease of doing business.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: New €200 million impact fund launched to scale agribusiness in developing countries
Small scale farming is one of the biggest industries in the world, with 500 million small farms and 2.5 billion people relying on small scale farming on a daily basis. The demand for impact investing in rural agriculture is growing as investors strive to end poverty and hunger to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The ABC Fund will also focus on creating employment, particularly for young people in Africa, to offer them an alternative to migration.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Uganda Calls on Mobile Money to Cultivate New Debt Investors
Ugandans with mobile money accounts, many of whom had limited access to banks, will now be able to directly buy government debt. The move follows a similar move by Kenya in 2017 and will also open the market up to Uganda’s Diaspora.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Africans continue to lead the way on mobile money
“Going forward it is expected that the mobile phone will continue to play an important role in the future of payments in Africa,” said Paul van der Knaap, Global Director of Strategy and Business Development for G4S Cash Solutions.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kenyans borrowed a record $620 million in just one month on Safaricom’s Fuliza overdraft service
Kenya’s Safaricom subscribes borrowed a record Sh6.2 billion ($620 million) in just one month on the Safaricom’s Fuliza overdraft service, clearly demonstrating a huge demand for instant, micro-loans in the country.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, mobile finance
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Uganda’s social media tax is leaving people disconnected — and failing to meet revenue targets
Prior to the tax's implementation, 47.4 percent of people in Uganda were using the internet. Three months after the tax was put in place, that number had fallen to 35 percent.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Why Airtel, Telkom marriage rests on thin foundation
In a joint statement announcing the agreement last week, the companies said the merger excluded Telkom Kenya’s vast land holding, as well as some of its business agreements that include lucrative contracts to provide the government with network infrastructure and connectivity services.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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