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Will West Africa be the New East Africa in Mobile Money?: Shifting regulations and a growing ecosystem make the region an area to watch
Though the member countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union share one currency and one central bank, their mobile money ecosystems differ greatly. However, interoperability will likely be integrated across most of these countries in the not too distant future. Could its new regulatory regimes and developing ecosystems help the region take its place alongside the mobile money sprinters of East Africa?
- Categories
- Technology
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Early Morning Call: How One Entrepreneur Is Taking on the Money Transfer Giants
Telephones have always been a fundamental part of the remittance process, Ahmed Ismail says with a wry laugh; when they ring early in the morning, it tends to be costly.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- remittances
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The Disruptors Are Forcing Change in the Remittance Industry
Remittances to Africa have grown rapidly in recent times, and it forms an integral part of the $500 billion global money transfer market. This is because several African nations rely heavily on money sent home by friends and relatives working abroad. Hundreds of Africansare migrating daily to keep growing the influx. But the biggest gainers in this have for long being a few firms, whose near-monopoly costs the continent about $2 billion annually in remittance fees. However, a new breed of companies are causing much needed disruption in the money transfer market and are putting consumers back in control of their money.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public policy, remittances
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Mobile Money Service a First for Burundi, ‘Just Like an Instant Message’
London-based money transfer services provider WorldRemit has partnered with Zimbabwe-based EcoCash service to launch instant mobile money transfers in Burundi.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Disrupting Remittances Through Mobile Money in Uganda
The money remittance industry sees over US$34 billion sent to sub-Saharan Africa each year, accounting for an average of 5 per cent of GDP on a country-by-country basis. However, for those sending and receiving money, the systems in place are inefficient and time-consuming.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Rising Fintech Investment in Asia Suggests Room for Bitcoin Opportunities
More and more companies are tapping into the Asian market when it comes to financial technology investment, as the region has seen growth in remittances while some countries have weak banking sectors. This opens up a market gap that could make room for bitcoin opportunities later on.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Meet the Kenyan Startup Trying to Change Bill Gates’ Mind on Bitcoin
Bill Gates has been publicly skeptical about the future of the payment technology in the developing world.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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10 New Mobile Wallet Remittance Services Launched Throughout Africa and Asia-Pacific
HomeSend and Azimo today announced the launch of new mobile wallet services in ten countries throughout Africa and Asia-Pacific – reaching millions of mobile money subscribers. Azimo customers in 20 European countries are now be able to send funds to mobile money accounts of loved ones in Armenia, Burkina Faso, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines and Somaliland.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- remittances