-
Africa Tops 500m Mobile Users, Adds $150bn To Continent’s Economy
Africa now has half a billion mobile users, and the mobile ecosystem added $153-billion to the African economy in 2015, according to a new GSMA study, which predicts smartphone numbers will triple in the next five years.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Mobile Money Meets Microcredit: Creating an Evidence-Based Cross-Sell Strategy
Financial institutions serving low-income communities regularly turn to cross-selling to engage clients. But they don't always consider the particular needs of clients themselves. Based on its research on cross-sell initiatives, Bankable Frontier Associates explores what it takes to enhance clients’ engagement and encourage them to actively use multiple products with an institution over time.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
The Power of Partnerships: Why They Can Be the Key to Reaching the Unbanked
In a world of rapid change, few organizations have all the capabilities needed to accomplish every aspect of their business - something that's clearly true for commercial banks. That's why financial institutions often find success in adapting to new opportunities through partnering. In a new publication, the Center for Financial Inclusion explores how banks use partners to adopt new technologies and reach previously underserved markets.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Weekly Roundup: Uruguay smokes ‘Big Tobacco’, Safaricom ups the ante, critic pens a (RED) herring
Uruguay wins a major legal battle against a huge tobacco company, Safaricom ups the ante in its battle with banks in Kenya, and our editors take issue with a provocative critique of a popular "social venture" in this Roundup of the week's social business developments.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Weekly Roundup: Appreciating banks, emojis for health, d.light’s destination
This week in our roundup: A major new study shows mobile finance is essential, but highlights the role of old fashioned banks; the language of emojis could improve global health; and solar lamp pioneers d.light are well on their way to reaching their goal of 100 million customers by the start of the next decade.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
MasterCard Commits to the Inclusion of 40 Million Micro and Small Merchants
To date, financial inclusion has been predominantly centered on providing the underserved and the unbanked with tools and transaction accounts. This remains a critical need with two billion unbanked people, the majority of whom are women, forced to operate in a cash economy.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Mercy Corps, MasterCard Target 18,000 Women in Nigeria Financial Inclusion Strategy
Under the landmark initiative, over 2,000 young women have gone through the Mercy Corps/ MasterCard programme while more than 6,000 participants from across Mercy Corps programmes have been registered for the multi-functional eID card. About 100 participants have already received their card.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- mobile finance
-
Opportunity International and MyBucks: The Future of Digital Microfinance?
Back in November 2015, to little fanfare, microfinance pioneer Opportunity International agreed to sell six banks serving sub-Saharan Africa to the MyBucks Group, a Luxembourg-based fintech company. By all accounts, this should have been bigger news, as it touches upon many of the topics and trends that are reshaping the microfinance sector, from the role of fintech to the question of responsible exits. Daniel Rozas and Gabriela Erice García explore the very real opportunities and challenges generated by this deal.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.