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Pyramid scheme: To reach Africa’s poorest consumers, face-to-face contact works best
In the past international firms often took a simplistic view that African consumers aspired to a Western lifestyle. But billboard and newspaper campaigns based on that premise lacked impact. Imported television ads dubbed in local vernacular were scorned. Building brand loyalty among low-income shoppers is a job best done by folk who speak the language and know the lives of people they are selling to.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Microinsurance in Africa grows by 200%, says report
More than 44 million Africans use microinsurance products as tools to manage the risks they are exposed to, a study on the Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa last year has shown.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Developing the Microfinance Movement for Smallholder Farmers
Although the agriculture sector is continually developing new technologies and strategies to help farmers grow more food, smallholder farm families lack the capital to invest in improved seed, fertilizer, and training.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- microfinance
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Bill set to open up Zimbabwe’s micro insurance sector
The insurance sector is set to have more players following the introduction of the Micro Insurance Bill which will allow new and small-to-medium players who cannot meet high capitalization requirements to participate in the sector, a senior industry official said.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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MTN and Uganda’s Crane Bank Launch Mobile Money ATM Cash Out Service
In a partnership with Crane Bank – one of Uganda’s largest indigenous banks – the MTN Mobile Money cash out service allows MTN customers to withdraw money from Crane Bank’s ATMs using their phone.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Kenya Mobile Money Transactions Jump 21.8% Despite Tax Increase
A recent report by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has revealed mobile payments in the East African country jumped 21.8 percent year-on-year to Sh1.2 trillion ($14.2 billion) at the end of August from Sh987.2 billion ($11.6 billion), despite a government hike in transaction charges.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Tanzania: Mobile Money Takes Firm Grip On Tanzanians
Mobile money has taken off in Tanzania over the last few years and about a quarter of the population is now using mobile money services.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The global health crisis you’ve never heard of
When we talk about global health challenges, we often cite the ones that receive the most attention or funding. AIDS and malaria come to mind. You probably don’t think about injuries sustained from cooking fires or acid attacks. But the truth is, severe burns are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries — a crisis afflicting the poor that hardly anyone is talking about.In resource-strained parts of the world, open fires and kerosene cookstoves are relied upon for cooking, heating and lighting. Add in to the mix overcrowded living conditions, lack of proper fire safety measures, loose clothing worn by women and insufficient supervision of children. Suddenly, it’s not hard to see why someone is severely burned every three seconds in a developing country.That’s more than 10 million people each year. For those burn survivors around the world who do not have access to basic medical care, burns are left to heal by themselves, creating a permanent tightening of the skin as the burn wound heals. As a result, even a minor burn can restrict one’s ability to walk or cause a working hand to become an unusable fist.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public health
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