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‘Back in the U.S.S.D.’: Most Smartphone Owners—Especially Women—Don’t Use Apps for Financial Services
The global transition from basic mobile phones to smartphones has impacted nearly every sector, including financial services. Bryan Pon from Caribou Data considers whether this shift will help or hinder access to mobile money and digital finance for women in emerging markets — a group already less likely to be using these services. He shares the findings of a comprehensive study on how payment system design could impact gender bias in digital finance, and discusses the ongoing popularity — and under-recognized advantages — of old-fashioned USSD codes in mobile money.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Analysis: Kenya Is Becoming a Global Hub of Fintech Innovation
Powered by smartphones and social apps, China has used remote payments and the digitization of money management to build a steady vehicle of financial inclusion. But it may not be the leader for long.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Pandemic Draws More Latin American Poor Into Banking System
Sonia Fierro has lived her entire adult life selling children’s books on the streets of Colombia’s capital, earning wages that barely cover her living expenses, let alone the monthly fees that come with a bank account.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
- Region
- Latin America
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‘Our Only Competition Is Poverty’: How Avanti Finance Aims To Create a ‘Population-Scale’ Digital Microfinance Platform in India
India has long been a hotbed of digital financial innovation. Avanti Finance is an emerging innovator in the sector, with a digital lending platform that aims to bring affordable microfinance to even the poorest customers. NextBillion spoke with CEO Rahul Gupta to discuss Avanti’s unique model, and the challenges of serving low-income customers both efficiently and responsibly.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Making Smartphones Relevant for the World’s Poorest Farmers: An Interview With AgUnity CEO David Davies
Extreme poverty is increasing in countries around the world, particularly in last-mile communities where most people work in agriculture. In this Q&A, AgUnity CEO David Davies discusses his company's efforts to leverage low-cost smartphones and other technologies to provide smallholder farmers with practical tools to connect with each other and work their way out of poverty.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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Mobile Money Accounts in Uganda Grow To Over 25 Million – Ucc Report
Of these, the report says, 21 million accounts undertook at least one billable mobile money transaction in the 90 days preceding March 31. For every two Ugandans, at least one has an active mobile wallet.
- Categories
- Technology
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Interview: How COVID-19 Will Affect Impact Investing in India
Geeta Goel, country director, India, of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, talks about the need for responsible capitalism
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Education, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Why Don’t Small Retailers Adopt E-Payments?: New Research Suggests the Reasons Behind Merchant Aversion – And Solutions for Stimulating Customer Demand
Mexico's 2.1 million 'tienditas' (small shops) drive most of the country's retail sales – yet 83% of them only accept cash, even though e-payment technology is cheaply accessible. Shreya Kankanhalli at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and Luz Gomez at Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth explore findings from a field study that's testing ways to promote e-payments.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Technology
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