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The Blockchain Experiments Have Begun: Here’s What They Could Yield for Business and Development
The buzz around blockchain is loud. But despite the widespread attention the tech has generated, it has yet to live up to its potential to make a major impact in low- and middle-income countries, according to Akhtar Badshah of Catalytic Innovators Group. Badshah profiles blockchain success stories from the for-profit, social enterprise and development sectors alike, arguing that if more organizations would give the tech a chance, they (and their beneficiaries) could tap into its great potential.
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- Technology
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From Financial Inclusion to Employment: Four Ways Superplatforms Will Shape Africa’s Future
Perhaps surprisingly, young people in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries haven't embraced digital payments to the extent of their older peers. But that may be changing as "superplatforms" like Alibaba and Facebook – which can leverage their data and tech capabilities over multiple sectors – emerge in the region. David Porteous and Amolo Ng’weno of BFA and Olga Morawcynski of Mastercard Foundation discuss four ways these tech platforms will shape youth employment, financial inclusion, digital identity and other fields.
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- Inclusive Fintech, Technology
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Viewpoint: Don’t forget people in the use of big data for development
Information from satellites, mobile phones and other sources is not a panacea for international-development problems, warns Joshua Blumenstock.
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- Impact Assessment, Technology
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Bill Gates Foundation eyes Kenya’s mobile money with Mojaloop software
Mojaloop will be expected to connect the six mobile money providers and 44 registered banks upon securing approval.
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- Inclusive Fintech, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Former Deutsche and Santander execs set up emerging markets blockchain venture
Banks no longer have to form consortia in order to get things done on the blockchain, according to former Deutsche executive.
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- Technology
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Benin is the latest African nation taxing the internet
The new law has been denounced, with citizens and advocates using the hashtag #Taxepamesmo (“Don’t tax my megabytes”) to call on officials to cancel the levy. The increased fees will not only burden the poorest consumers and widen the digital divide, but they will also be “disastrous” for the nation’s nascent digital economy, says ISF’s executive director Julie Owono.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Press release: Ambitious new Innovation Partnerships with African countries
A series of ambitious new Innovation Partnerships between the UK and Africa are expected to stimulate significant economic growth and support the creation of thousands of new jobs. Initiatives in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria will include teams to boost innovation in technology, an accelerator programme and entrepreneurship schemes.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why Indian startups are set to open new frontiers with emerging tech
Today, India is the third-largest hub for technology startups. Indian startups such as online retailer FlipKart, ride-hailing app Ola and digital payments company Paytm have become global household names, attracting not only interest from financial institutions but also from Fortune 500 companies.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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