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Jumia’s IPO filing shows just how costly it is to crack e-commerce across Africa
Being upfront and extensive about possible business risks are routine when filing for initial public offerings. And while some the 23 “risk factors” Jumia lists in its filing can be seen as generic business risks (political instability, regulatory uncertainty and active competitors), others offer an insight into the difficulties of achieving e-commerce in some of the continent’s markets.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-commerce
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Paypal to invest $750M, and Dragoneer $100m, into MercadoLibre, Argentina’s e-commerce powerhouse
“Digital commerce in Latin America is experiencing tremendous growth and MercadoLibre is well-positioned for continued leadership,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO, PayPal, in a statement. “We’ve been impressed with the digital commerce and payments ecosystem Marcos and his team have built.”
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Safaricom increases e-commerce stakes after Alibaba Group deal
“This partnership seeks to connect Kenyans to even more business opportunities by enabling them to seamlessly source, purchase and import goods from the world’s leading manufacturers,” Safaricom Chief customer officer Sylvia Mulinge said.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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M-Pesa, Western Union and Amazon could potentially disrupt Jumia’s e-commerce business
Three countries — Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa — dominate e-commerce sales. Kenya has a population of 48.5 million and an impressive 79 percent internet penetration. This is because Kenya is home to M-Pesa, the mobile wallet provider started by mobile telecom provider Safaricom. The availability of a secure payment system encourages internet access and online buying.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Mexican central bank in talks with Amazon about new mobile payments
The payment system, known as CoDi, is being built by central bank Banco de México, known as Banxico. CoDi will allow customers to make payments online and in person through smartphones free of charge using QR codes.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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Digital commerce will transform African economies, starting with cheaper phones
Growth could have a massive impact on African countries, with their young and increasingly urban populations. But most governments are not ready.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- e-commerce, employment
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Amazon, Western Union debut PayCode to sell goods in emerging markets and let shoppers pay in cash
Amazon has partnered with Western Union to set up a service called PayCode, which lets people shop and pay for Amazon items using local currencies that would not have been accepted on the site before, starting with services in 10 countries.
- Categories
- Finance
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A private equity bet in Latin America proves the strength of fintech investments there
Across Latin America, fintech startups have hit billion-dollar valuations and raised hundreds of millions as investors vie for a piece of the region’s growing e-commerce and financial services markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
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