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Why COVID-19 Could Delay Interswitch, Africa’s Next Big IPO
The tech firm’s path from startup to IPO aspirant traces back to the vision of founder Mitchell Elegbe, a Nigerian electrical engineering graduate whose entire career has pretty much been Interswitch.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Coronavirus Is Triggering Deep Digital Change in African Fintech
In a bid to curb the spread of the virus, the World Health Organisation has been cautioning against the use of hard currency and encouraging the use of digital payments. This move has prompted African governments and regulators to enforce measures aimed at facilitating more cashless transactions.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital finance, fintech
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Viewpoint: COVID-19 Is a Call to Action for Regulators to Boost Financial Inclusion
Mobile money transfer and global remittance firms such as Chipper Cash and WorldRemit are particularly vital for migrants who rely on these services to send money home for essentials such as school fees, medical costs or groceries. As the services are increasingly available through mobile devices, they are a particularly efficient instrument in the push toward financial inclusion and the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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The Informal Economy is Complicating Government Responses to COVID-19: Will the Crisis Push Millions Toward Formality?
As COVID-19 devastates the global economy, many governments have designed support measures to help businesses and workers survive. But as Jill Lagos Shemin and James Dailey point out, this support may be ineffective in lower-income countries, where most small businesses and their employees work in the informal economy, lacking bank accounts and even valid ID. They explore some solutions governments can pursue – and trade-offs they will have to accept.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Facebook in Talks Over Mobile Money in Indonesia
Three e-wallet operators interested in working with Facebook Pay to tap into massive Southeast Asian market.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- digital finance, fintech
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Coronavirus Could Spark Demand for E-Wallets, Digital Banks in LatAm
The coronavirus outbreak could drive financial inclusion in Latin America, as governments look for agile partners to distribute state aid and large segments of the informal economy grapple with restricted access to cash.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Latin America
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In a Cash-Strapped Age, Are Microloans the Answer?
Digital microfinance has made it possible for the prosperous to help developing world entrepreneurs with capability but no capital.
- Categories
- Finance
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Report: Over 500 Million Mobile-Money Users Expected in Africa in 2020
With 50 million new accounts created on the continent in 2019 and a 12% increase in registered users, Africa is by far the leading continent for mobile-money services. However, growth is uneven from one region to another.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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