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The GSMA Inclusive Tech Lab launched the Interoperability Test Platform, a joint test environment combining the GSMA Mobile Money API, a harmonised industry specification for all common mobile money use cases, and Mojaloop, an open source code, developed to accelerate financial inclusion through digital payments. The platform will provide the industry with an open-source and secure environment for ecosystem participants to test their systems across different use cases in an interoperable mobile money ecosystem.

The GSMA published a comprehensive overview of the trends in global connectivity to inform progress towards closing the coverage and usage gaps and the key challenges. The report accompanies the fifth annual update of the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index, a tool which measures the performance of 170 countries, representing 99% of the global population, against the key enablers of mobile internet adoption: infrastructure; affordability; consumer readiness; and content and services. The Index was developed as part of the mobile industry's commitment to drive mobile internet connectivity and accelerate digital inclusion.

GSMA Mobile Money and GSMA Intelligence have undertaken a study to assess the impact of mobile money on monetary and financial stability across several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, something which - to our knowledge - has not been done previously. To achieve this, we looked at trends in a number of monetary and financial outcomes, both in countries where mobile money adoption is widespread and where uptake has been limited.

The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2021 highlights, so far the pandemic does not appear to have negatively impacted the overall gender gap in mobile ownership, which has remained relatively flat, nor the gender gap in mobile internet, which has improved this year - driven mostly by South Asia. Across low- and middle-income countries, 58 per cent of women now access mobile internet, with an estimated 112 million women going online for the first time in 2020. But access and use of mobile remains unequal; women are 7 per cent less likely than men to own a mobile and 15 per cent less likely to use mobile internet.

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) released a COVID-19 response tracker that monitors mobile money-specific regulatory policy, government and provider interventions globally, collated using both primary and secondary sources and updated weekly. The tracker is intended to support mobile money providers and regulators with a mobile money-specific policy response database and learnings from other markets, in order to effectively tailor policy responses for their market. The tracker collates data from 32 countries, spread across Sub-Saharan Africa (17), East Asia & Pacific (7), South Asia (4), Middle East & North Africa (3), and Latin America & Caribbean (1). An interim analysis of the data collated in the tracker showed preferred policy response instrument, regional variations, and the validity period of these instruments.

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) is exploring of low mobile money activity rates. Despite high sign-up rates, only 26% of accounts are active on a monthly basis, while 38% are active on a 90-day basis. Findings from the annual GSMA Consumer Survey run in ten countries in 2021 shed light on perceived reasons for low activity. The main barriers were found to be a preference for cash, lacking sufficient funds for mobile money to be useful and not needing mobile money due to alternative electronic financial services. Other important barriers include users having a limited ability in using a phone, and mobile money transaction costs being too high.

Mobile money transactions hit a record high of $1.26 trillion in 2022 (versus $1 trillion in 2021), according to a new GSMA report. The number of registered mobile money accounts increased by 13% year-on-year to 1.6 billion, and the volume of mobile money-enabled international remittances increased by 28% to $22 billion. However, there is a wide gender gap, with mobile phone ownership remaining the main cause of this gap, although cultural norms also prevent women from adopting mobile money. "Women in low- and middle-income countries are 28% less likely than men to own a mobile money account," the report found. https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/mobile-money-exceeds-industry-expectations-reaching-a-transaction-value-of-1-26-usd-trillion-in-2022/

With 21% of adults in the region having a mobile money account, Sub-Saharan Africa is the global leader in the use of mobile money. This correlates with GSMA supply-side data on mobile money, which shows that Sub-Saharan Africa plays host to almost half of all mobile money registered accounts i.e. 396 million - of which 37% are active on a 90-day basis.

"This GSMA report explores the landscape of cross-border remittances in a number of PICs. It draws on lessons from other regions to understand mobile technology's potential in promoting accessible and affordable remittances in the Pacific region, especially for the most vulnerable and isolated communities. The report also looks at whether mobile technology can help to drive down the costs associated with remittances."

The GSMA published an assessment of the negative impact of levies on mobile money transactions in Tanzania introduced in July 2021. This levy, which amounted to up to 5% of transaction value, led to a sharp decline in the volume of transactions. The levy was reduced in September 2021, and then again in July 2022 and September 2022, after which transaction activity has somewhat recovered albeit on a lower growth path. Those in favor of such levies, which have been introduced in other African countries, argue that it creates an important revenue stream for governments in emerging economies and brings otherwise untaxed informal sector economic activity within the scope of taxation. However, it is regressive and impacts the poorest the most. Tanzanians on lower incomes and living in rural areas particularly suffer as mobile money is often the only way to access financial services.

The extensive uptake of mobile money in recent years and the subsequent creation of transactional data has spurred access to short-term loans for individuals who had been previously excluded from formal credit markets. By offering instant loans and advances, these products can help individuals and MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) to meet their household needs, handle financial shocks and capitalise on business opportunities.

A Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA) note examined the impacts of COVID-19 on mobile money business and provided broad recommendations that could be taken to ensure business continuity and sustainability. It also has a tabulation of the measures taken by governments and mobile money providers to limit the spread of the virus by encouraging digital payments and ease the cost of living burden on citizens who use digital payments.

The GSMA has published its annual State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money. It revealed a dramatic acceleration in mobile transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown restrictions limited access to cash and financial institutions. The report found that the number of registered accounts grew by 13% globally in 2020 to more than 1.2 billion. The fastest growth was in markets where governments provided significant pandemic relief to their citizens. To minimise the economic toll of COVID-19, many national governments distributed monetary support to individuals and businesses, and the value of government-to-person payments quadrupled during the pandemic.

This GSMA report explores the digital ID landscape in selected markets in Sub Saharan Africa, key actors, policy challenges and opportunities, and the potential role of mobile-enabled digital IDs in enhancing service delivery in a socially impactful manner.

The GSMA has updated its analysis of the impact of COVID-19 regulatory responses on mobile money operators. Countries that have established emergency COVID-19 social cash transfer schemes are increasingly using mobile money to distribute money to vulnerable groups. There is also a preference for mobile money as a distribution tool for donor agencies involved in COVID-19 related social cash transfers. However, COVID-19 regulatory measures have since lapsed for a majority of the countries in accordance with the official communication issued by the regulatory authorities, particularly the waiver of mobile money fees. However, many regulators are moving to permanently maintain higher transaction and balance limits, and more flexible know-your-customer (KYC) and on-boarding.

The GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index measures the performance of 170 countries - representing 99% of the global population - against key enablers of mobile internet adoption: infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content and services. This data can help the mobile industry and other stakeholders understand where to focus action in order to drive increased mobile internet adoption. It now includes data from 2014 to 2019. A report accompanies the 2020 update to the Index which highlights the key findings and trends.

The GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index measures the performance of 170 countries - representing 99% of the global population - against key enablers of mobile internet adoption: infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content and services. This data can help the mobile industry and other stakeholders understand where to focus action in order to drive increased mobile internet adoption. It now includes data from 2014 to 2019. A report accompanies the 2020 update to the Index which highlights the key findings and trends.

"In September 2018 we launched the Mobile Money Regulatory Index, an interactive tool that measures the effectiveness of mobile money regulatory frameworks. Today, we are pleased to release a paper that provides a deep analysis on the findings of the Mobile Money Regulatory Index. We examine in detail the six key facets of regulation."

For many mobile is the primary - or only - way to get online. Last year alone, almost 300 million further people connected to mobile internet. The extent and progress of mobile internet connectivity is explored in detail in the GSMA's State of Mobile Internet Connectivity Report.

In our last post, we explored mobile money as the driving force for financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the increasing digitisation of use cases across different sectors - many of which were not imagined in the early days of mobile money. This post focuses on the future of mobile money. Looking ahead, we see three key areas of future growth in mobile money across Sub-Saharan Africa.