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Africa innovations: 15 ideas helping to transform a continent
A mobile phone database for dairy farmers and a strain of sweet potato that can help fight child blindness. These are just two of the imaginative new ideas that are tackling Africa's old problems
- Categories
- Agriculture, Impact Assessment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Innovation in Africa: Upwardly mobile
VISITORS to Kenya’s capital are often horrified by the homicidal minibuses called matatu. They swerve around potholes, seldom signal and use their iffy brakes only at the last second. They are therefore an ideal subject for a video game, which is why Planet Rackus, a Nairobi start-up, released “Ma3Racer” last year. Each player uses his mobile phone to steer a matatu down the street. The (unrealistic) goal is to avoid pedestrians. Within a month, a quarter of a million people in 169 countries had downloaded the game.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Rwanda: Tigo Unveils New Package for Social Entrepreneurs
Tigo and "Reach for Change", an international NGO, have launched a new campaign with an aim of supporting social entrepreneurs to enhance the lives of Rwandan youth.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Secret of Africa’s Banking Boom: Mobility
While U.S. and European banks suffer hangovers from the Great Recession and continued shock waves inside the eurozone, Africa’s top lenders have never looked stronger or been more ambitious. Why is a continent better known for political instability and foreign aid riding a banking boom characterized by aggressive pan-African expansion and swelling balance sheets?
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A continent goes shopping
AFRICAN consumers are underserved and overcharged, reckons Frank Braeken, Unilever’s boss in Africa. Until recently, South Africans who craved shampoo made specially for African hair, or cosmetics for black skin, had little choice besides costly American imports. Unilever spotted an opportunity: its Motions range of shampoos and conditioners is now a hit.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Acumen Fund Announces Duncan Onyango as New Director of Acumen Fund East Africa
Nairobi, Kenya, August 15, 2012 – Acumen Fund, a pioneering nonprofit global venture firm addressing poverty across Africa and in South Asia, today announced Duncan Onyango as the new Director of Acumen Fund East Africa. Mr. Onyango joins from Rift Valley Railways having served as Group Chief Finance Officer. He replaces Biju Mohandas who is leaving Acumen after five years of leading Acumen’s local office and building the portfolio to its current size of $29 million in cumulative investments. Mr. Mohandas will play an informal role through this transition.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Ghana: Midland to Deplore 300 ATMs, 5,000 POS Devices
Midland Savings &Loans Company Limited, the leader in Ghana's microfinance sector has disclosed that it would add up four more branches this year to it existing branches to further bring banking services to its numerous customers across the country.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- microfinance
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Avon’s ‘Lipstick Evangelism’ Shows Promise in Poverty Fight
Lipstick may be the newest weapon in the fight against global poverty. A recent study (PDF) by University of Oxford researchers suggests that selling Avon (AVP) cosmetics have helped women in South Africa become financially independent. Other businesses are mimicking Avon’s model of direct sales as a way to alleviate poverty in developing countries.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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