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If Cash Is King in Africa, Mobile Money Is Heir Apparent
For most African businesses and the populace at large, cash is king, owing to the continent’s developing electronic funds transfer systems and the slow uptake of technology-based remittance and payments platforms. But experts believe that the growing integration of telecommunications and banking in most African countries, as well as the continued revamping of platforms enabling electronic funds transfers, is helping mobile money to catch up to cash in terms of popularity.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Overlooked Secret to Successful Small Businesses: The ‘demand side of financing’
The inability to access capital is a frequent obstacle for would-be entrepreneurs in the developing world. But most of the energy spent on solving this problem is currently focused on the financial industry, or the supply side. Instead, we should focus more attention on the demand side of funding – working with entrepreneurs, argues Juan Carlos Thomas of TechnoServe.
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How One Man Brought Health Care to India’s Poorest Populations
Shelley Saxena, a mobile technology entrepreneur in Atlanta, had a head start when he launched Sevamob, a distribution system for low-cost preventive health services across India. But that didn’t save him from having to make a few strategic pivots as his new business grew.
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- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Uber Eyes Use of Mobile Money Service in Africa
Many people in Africa do not have credit cards, but do use mobile services on phones. After launching its service in seven African cities and hitting a few hitches, especially in Kenya, Uber is exploring the use of mobile money services.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press Release: Better Than Cash Alliance Study Shows Colombia’s Digital Payment Tool for Coffee Farmers Is a Model to Replicate
The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) Smart Coffee ID Card (CCI), launched in 2006, has become a vital tool for financial inclusion and change in the productive dynamics of Colombia´s rural sector, according to the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), a United Nations alliance of governments, companies and the development community committed to the global transition from cash to electronic payments.
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- Agriculture
- Region
- Latin America
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Why 2015 Will Be a Game-Changer for Financial Inclusion in India
When it comes to digital finance, India punches below its weight. The 2014 Intermedia Financial Inclusion Insight (FII) Survey of 45,000 Indian adults found that 0.3% of adults use mobile money, compared to 76% in Kenya, 48% in Tanzania, 43% in Uganda, and 22% in Bangladesh.
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- Region
- South Asia
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How to Get 30 Fintech CEOs to Open Up About Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Accion’s inaugural CEO Forum
Who exactly are financial inclusion entrepreneurs, and what do they do on a day-to-day basis? The leaders at Accion’s recent CEO Forum represented diverse enterprises ranging in size from three employees to 200. Through discussions around regulation, talent, growth, financing and more, the event showed a lot about what drives – and what worries – these entrepreneurs and their businesses.
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PRESS RELEASE: The Aspen Institute Appoints Ida Rademacher as New Executive Director of the Initiative on Financial Security
The Aspen Institute is pleased to announce today that Ida Rademacher has joined the Institute as the new Executive Director of the Initiative on Financial Security, effective immediately. In this role, Rademacher will lead the Initiative into a new phase of engagement with leaders from the financial services, government, and independent sectors to explore how the rapidly evolving financial system and public policies can work together to improve the financial security and financial well-being of all Americans. Rademacher's work will expand the Initiative on Financial Security's efforts to bring to the national forefront a solutions-focused discussion of how America can address growing wealth inequality and household financial insecurity.
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