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nouhaila_zaki

Another False Messiah: The Rise and Rise of Fin-tech in Africa - ROAPE - 0 views

  • This is mainly because of its sensational claim that ‘access to the Kenyan mobile money system M-PESA increased per capita consumption levels and lifted 194,000 households, or 2% of Kenyan households, out of poverty.’
  • According to this article, M-Pesa was not just making profits, but the evidence seemed to show it was also making an astonishing ‘bottom-up’ development and poverty reduction contribution. This poverty reduction claim, often cited in full in media articles, quickly became the centrepiece of the evidence used by many in the international development community to justify its increasingly strong support for, and investment in, the fin-tech model.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      The excerpt states that an article in a prestigious journal praised M-Pesa for its impact on the Kenyan economy and people. M-Pesa reportedly increased per capita consumption levels and got 2% of Kenya households out of poverty.
  • he core issue of individual over-indebtedness, which in Kenya is now approaching crisis levels and which has a clear and direct link to the operation of M-Pesa, was not even mentioned as a possible downside of the fin-tech development model. For such an important and well-financed project, the methodology was also weak, diverging from many of the standard ‘best practices’ in the impact evaluation field.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt criticizes the prevailing claims stipulating that M-Pesa saved Kenyan people by emphasizing on the fact that Kenya suffers from individual over-indebtedness. This should definitely be taken into consideration when analyzing the impact of M-Pesa on the Kenyan economy in the future.
mehdibella

FarmDrive - 0 views

  • FarmDrive’s alternative credit risk assessment model is providing financial institutions with an agriculturally relevant and data-driven model to assess risk and develop loans that fit the needs of smallholder farmers. Not only will this solution unlock millions of dollars of previously risk-averse capital for smallholder farmers, it will improve the livelihoods of entire communities, thereby alleviating poverty, hunger, and inequalities.
    • sawsanenn
       
      FarmDrive overlaps our focus areas of agriculture and financial inclusion, empowering the world's most vulnerable farmers with the digital financial services they need to strengthen and improve their livelihoods. FarmDrive connected to various partners and expertise to help them scale, as its usage increases in other developing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Nearly 50 million smallholder farmers in Africa are struggling to support their families and communities through agri-business because less than 10% have their economic needs met by the financial sector. Without access to credit, they remain unable to purchase quality inputs, make productive investments, and improve their production and harvests.
    • sawsanenn
       
      While financial inclusion in the country has increased, many farmers remain excluded. Limited financing for farmers is due, in part, to a lack of available credible risk-assessment information for financial institutions.
  • FarmDrive’s alternative credit risk assessment model is providing financial institutions with an agriculturally relevant and data-driven model to assess risk and develop loans that fit the needs of smallholder farmers. Not only will this solution unlock millions of dollars of previously risk-averse capital for smallholder farmers, it will improve the livelihoods of entire communities, thereby alleviating poverty, hunger, and inequalities.
    • aminej
       
      FarmDrive helps small holder farmers get access to credit and funding in order to develop more and improve their capabilities and ressources. They also offer another service that consist of giving a score to each farmer according to his credits which is a good way to evaluate each one and to include more people that are unbanked.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • FarmDrive uses mobile phones, alternative data, and machine learning to close the critical data gap that prevents financial institutions from lending to creditworthy smallholder farmers.
  • $450 Billion Financing Gap Agriculture employs 65% of Africa’s population and makes up 32% of its GDP. However, less than 1% of bank lending in Africa goes to agriculture. In absence of accurate and cost-effective methods for assessing small-scale agricultural lending risk, financial institutions choose not to lend to smallholder farmers, thereby contributing to the $450 billion global agriculture financing gap.
    • mehdibella
       
      Not only will this solution unlock millions of dollars of previously risk-averse capital for smallholder farmers, it will improve the livelihoods of entire communities as the GDPR is maiinly based on agriculture these similar technologies help push it over the limit.
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    This excerpt is important because FarmDrive tries to gather all data needed to create loans that suit farmers situations.
mbellakbail69

JUMO wins UNCDF's Sprint4Women Design Competition in Zambia - UN Capital Development Fu... - 0 views

  • UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is pleased to announce that JUMO has won their Sprint4Women Design Competition for women’s financial inclusion in Zambia. JUMO was one of three finalists competing for a grant to roll-out digital financial services (DFS) solutions for the rural women of Zambia, alongside Fenix Zambia and Hobbiton Investments.
  • JUMO wins UNCDF’s Sprint4Women Design Competition in Zambia - UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
  • JUMO’s experience and expertise will help extend access to credit and savings so that women in Zambia can grow their businesses or save towards essential lump-sum payments, such as school fees.
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  • JUMO partners with forward-thinking funding and data/distribution partners to deliver digital financial services and will be working with Absa Bank Zambia PLC and MTN Zambia to provide these improvements.
    • mehdibella
       
      Jumo won many awards all over the worlds and grants that will help it as a company to grow and expand its business into other countries
  • Jumo scored highest of the three companies and will be awarded a $85,000 grant once the UNCDF grant review process is completed.
  • As one of the first providers of non-collateral-based, digital lending products that can make funds available in minutes, JUMO’s experience and expertise will help extend access to credit and savings so that women in Zambia can grow their businesses or save towards essential lump-sum payments, such as school fees.
  • To win the competition, the companies needed to demonstrate: that their product fits the needs of rural women, how they would increase the number of women customers signing up for and using DFS, and that the company could scale their product to at least 30,000 new customers, with at least 60% of them being women.
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    JUMO's social work is a brilliant idea because it's a key to win customers heart. Also, expanding to other African countries with the idea of improving their lifestyle can only be beneficial for the company because people of that country are going to spread positive word of mouth about the company.
  •  
    I like how JUMO is helping businesswomen in Zambia to access lending products to run their business. Women suffer a lot from the lack of financial inclusion, and with JUMO, we can fight this phenomenon.
mbellakbail69

South African fintech JUMO scooped up $55 million in funding - 0 views

  • JUMO offers a wide range of services to users in emerging markets via partnerships with other financial institutions
    • nourserghini
       
      Jumo delivers services to third parties in emerging markets using partnership with other financial institutions.
  • JUMO offers financial services infrastructure to third parties and has served over 15 million customers across countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, and Tanzania, and it plans to use the fresh capital to launch new products and expand into new markets: It's set to launch in Bangladesh, India, Côte d'Ivoire, and Nigeria soon, per its website.
    • nourserghini
       
      The article shows that Jumo specializes in financial services infrastructure to third parties. It operates in African countries such as Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.
  • South African fintech JUMO scooped up $55 million in funding
    • nourserghini
       
      Jumo's original location is in South Africa.
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  • And while JUMO is focused on serving customers in emerging markets, it should use the fresh captial to offer more consumer products, like loan products, to better close the financial inclusion gap in these regions.
  • JUMO's partners include Telenor and Telenor Microfinance Bank, with which it launched its first commercial product in Asia in 2018, and Tigo, Airtel, and MTN with which it offers short-term loans in Kenya, Zambia, and Uganda. With help of the latest funding, JUMO will be able to further boost such partnerships, and become a more dominant player in the financial services industries in emerging markets.
    • mehdibella
       
      jUMO is focused on serving customers in emerging markets, it should use the fresh captial to offer more consumer products
  • JUMO offers this technology stack to partners, including telecommunication firms and other financial institutions, to power their financial products and serve consumers via their respective platforms.
  • The fintech's technology stack includes a lending product that gives entrepreneurs quick access to funds or asset finance, and JUMO has so far disbursed over $1.8 billion in loans. It also provides savings options to clients, including short-term, structure, and long-term products, and works together with underwriters and insurers to create standalone insurance products to "safeguard incomes, families, assets, and businesses".
    • ghtazi
       
      JUMO has already distributed 1.8 billion USD loans, it gives also the possibility to its users to have savings options to clients, including short term, structure, and long-term products. The company also ensures the creation of standalone insurance products.
  • JUMO's debt and equity round included participation from both new and existing investors, like Goldman Sachs, Odey Asset Management, and Leapfrog Investments, per TechStartups.com.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because it reflects the nature of funding that Jumo secures whether through debt or equity; new or existing investors.
  • JUMO's business model of working with third parties helps it to diversify its distribution channels, and allows for quicker expansion — which is likely boosting investor interest in the fintech. To further diversify its offering, and make a bigger impact on serving the financially excluded population in emerging markets, JUMO should look into offering more consumer products, including loan options and bank accounts, as most of its offerings currently focus on serving entrepreneurs and businesses.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because first it clearly states the business model of Jumo. Then, it discusses the possibilities of (geographical) expansion and diversification of offerings (more consumer products, loan options, bank accounts etc).
  • JUMO's business model of working with third parties helps it to diversify its distribution channels, and allows for quicker expansion — which is likely boosting investor interest in the fintech. To further diversify its offering, and make a bigger impact on serving the financially excluded population in emerging markets, JUMO should look into offering more consumer products, including loan options and bank accounts, as most of its offerings currently focus on serving entrepreneurs and businesses.
    • sawsanenn
       
      this excerpt included the services that jumo offers, the business model, and some recommendation that the company should consider improving the platform
  • Additionally, only 27% of the population in Southeast Asia has a bank account, leaving a financial inclusion gap of around 438 million consumers. And we've seen fintechs that aim to close this gap attract significant investor interest in the past year: Investment in African fintechs increased by 155% from $111 million in 2018, to $283 million, while Southeast Asian fintechs saw funding surge of 69% from $588 million to $993 million over the same period, per CB Insights.
kenza_abdelhaq

Lumkani's fire detectors might help save thousands of homes in South Africa's townships - 1 views

  • Right now, Lumkani is funded by charitable donations, with consumers paying a small, affordable fee — about $1.30 per box. But the company is looking for a more sustainable business model, and hopes to expand beyond South Africa's big cities throughout the nation and sub-Saharan Africa.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      Affordable devices for low income families in order to promote financial inclusion and expand to the rest of Africa.
  •  
    "Right now, Lumkani is funded by charitable donations, with consumers paying a small, affordable fee - about $1.30 per box. But the company is looking for a more sustainable business model, and hopes to expand beyond South Africa's big cities throughout the nation and sub-Saharan Africa."
ghtazi

About us - BezoMoney - 0 views

  • We want to acceleratefinancial inclusion BezoMoney is not just a product. It is a growth experience. Our vision is to become Africa’s largest community-based digital financial institution by empowering people financially through their way of life to facilitate upward social mobility using digital financial technologies. We are community, we are a financial ecosystem and we exist to address all your financial needs.
    • sawsanenn
       
      Invest Mobile Competitor
  • We had the opportunity to be trained by Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) which allowed us to develop our skills and our product as well as secure seed funding for BezoMoney.
    • ghtazi
       
      BezoMoney has a comparative advantage
tahaemsd

The Curious Case of M-Pesa's Miraculous Poverty Reduction Powers - Developing Economics - 0 views

  • Perhaps the most influential and widely reported publication pushing forward this narrative is an article examining M-Pesa written by US-based economists Tavneet Suri and William Jack—and published in the prestigious journal Science—entitled ‘The Long-run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’.
    • tahaemsd
       
      To solidify support for upping the promotion of digital fianancial inclusion initiatives across the global south
  • erhaps the most influential and widely reported publication pushing forward this narrative is an article examining M-Pesa written by US-based economists Tavneet Suri and William Jack—and published in the prestigious journal Science—entitled ‘The Long-run Poverty and Gender Impacts of Mobile Money’.
    • tahaemsd
       
      The authors make the far reaching claim that access to the kenyan mobile money system M-Pesa increased per capita consumption levels
kenzabenessalah

Lumkani - 0 views

  • As part of Lumkani’s mission to mitigate the loss of life and property caused by fires in South Africa and across the globe, we implement large scale roll-outs of our fire detection system into urban informal settlements and townships.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Before Lumkani was introduced, there was very little hope for people to rebuild their houses when fire erupted. Making this business known could help save plenty of lives.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Before Lumkani was introduced, there was very little hope for people to rebuild their houses when fire erupted. Making this business known could help save plenty of lives.
  • Before Lumkani introduced Fire Cover in 2016, there was little hope for households and businesses that had been excluded from insurance cover, to quickly rebuild, refurnish and return to a state of dignity.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      This excerpt is important because it highlights how beneficial and essential the concept of the company is. It helped protect people's homes and reassure them that their households would return to their original state.
  • For only R60 per month, you get: A Lumkani Fire Alarm that warns you when fire breaks out. Cover for your home or business structure and all of your belongings/stock for up to R40,000 provided by Hollard. There is no waiting period, you are protected immediately after your first payment.Foreign Nationals may apply.No documentation required to apply..properties we protect: Informal homes Small homes and low-cost homes (RDPs) Small businesses
    • tahaemsd
       
      Details of what is covered by the LUMKANI company
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  • Lumkani is a technology company which distributes insurance products to financially excluded households and businesses in townships and informal settlements. We use our award-winning fire detectors to mitigate the risk of fires and a world-first insurance product to cover losses when disasters occur. We have distributed tens of thousands of fire alarms to homes across South Africa which have drastically lowered the instances of fires in our communities, ensuring that those who are most vulnerable have a sense of security. Tens of millions of Rands of possible fire damage have been saved through our early-warning fire detectors.
    • aminej
       
      I think that this is an excellent idea since it will help many people in rural areas who very often suffer from losses due to weather or natural disasters and also a very weak infrastructure. It will also bring more unbanked people to learn about different services of insurance and finance.
  • Fires destroy homes, belongings and businesses which leads to personal and financial insecurity. We provide protection against fires to informal homes, small homes, RDPs and small businesses
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Having such a concept is essential to the community because it deals with one of most popular issues in the world; financial insecurity
  •  
    LUMKANI launched indeed a networked heat detector to protect people's properties.
kenzabenessalah

Cassava Fintech | AFRIKTA Burundi - 0 views

  • Cassava FinTech is a pan-African business using an integrated model to drive financial inclusion and digital transactions across the continent. Our core operations in Mobile Money, Social Payments Services, Digital Banking, International Remittances and Mobile Micro Insurance with presence in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, Lesotho and UK and partnerships in other African countries.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Cassava does not only facilitate banking services, but it in the insurance, remittance, and mobile sector as well.
kenzabenessalah

Cassava Fintech - Valora - 0 views

  • Cassava is a specialised Pan-African Fintech company that delivers innovative digital transaction solutions across the mobile ecosystem. The organisation endeavors to operate wherever money changes hands, with an ambition to drive financial inclusion, digital payments and lead the adoption of e-Commerce in Africa. They are the catalyst to providing millions of people in Africa with access to digital financial solutions that empower them to move and progress in life. Cassava Fintech is a subsidiary of Econet Group, a TMT company with its beginnings in Zimbabwe. Cassava Fintech is known for its flagship product, EcoCash, that was named Best Mobile Payment Solutions at the GSMA Glomo Awards 2017 in Barcelona.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      It is important that Cassava keeps improving its services frequently as it is considered the catalyst company that provides for millions of Africans.
tahaemsd

Bank of Ghana Licenses First Fintech; Zeepay Ghana to Operate as an Electronic Money Is... - 0 views

  • In furtherance of efforts to deepen financial inclusion and in accordance with the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987), the Bank of Ghana has issued its first Dedicated Electronic Money Issuer Licence, to a local Financial Technology (Fintech) company, Zeepay Ghana Limited.
    • tahaemsd
       
      This license authorises Zeepay to operate as a dedicated electronic money issuer
hindelquarrouti

Ethiopians say hello to new mobile banking initiative | Mobile Payments Today - 1 views

  • BelCash Technology Solutions PLC is working with Lion International Bank and Somali Micro Finance on a system that is intended to bring financial services to all Ethiopians and give them the ability to make bank account deposits and withdrawals as well as account transfers and payments, according to local media reports.
  •  
    Belcash is combining efforts with other companies in order to make financial services inclusive to all Ethiopians through a system. This will give them the opportunity to have enjoy all the financial facilities.
tahaemsd

AgroCenta - Disrupt 100 - 0 views

  • AgroCenta has four key strands to the business. First is its AgroTrade platform which enables smallholder farmers in remote farming communities to sell directly to buyers in the urban areas. Second, its TruckR on-demand shipping logistic service provides transport for goods at the click of a button. Third, AgroInfo gives smallholder farmers information on commodity pricing via SMS and Voice solutions, helping farmers make informed decisions on how to price competitively. Lastly, AgroPay is a financial-inclusion product for smallholder farmers, allowing them to easily access credit facilities, layaway some funds and transact using the power of mobile phones.
    • tahaemsd
       
      using its innovative technology which connects smallholder farmers to a larger market to trade and sell directly to buyers in the urban area
hibaerrai

FarmDrive | WSA - 1 views

  • FarmDrive is a Kenyan ¬based social enterprise that is unlocking access to financial services for over 50 million smallholder farmers in Africa. Using simple mobile phone technology, alternative data sets, and sophisticated data analytics, FarmDrive is closing the critical information gap that keeps smallholder farmers from getting loans that would allow them to grow and diversify their businesses. Potentially creditworthy smallholder farmers are often denied loans because they lack the traditional credit profiles that lenders rely on to evaluate borrowers.FarmDrive bridges the funding gap between smallholder farmers and financial institutions in two ways. The first step is to bring together multiple streams of data to create yield-predictive agronomic algorithms specific to each farming vertical and geographical region. T hese streams of data can be classified into three categories: 1. Agronomic Data: crop portfolio, soil health, drainage, weeds, pests, etc. 2. Remote Sensing Data: vegetation, weather conditions, climate trends, etc. 3. Market Data: offtake security, price trends, etc. FarmDrive then creates credit profiles for farmers by combining the agronomic algorithm with behavioral data. The behavioral data is obtained from farmers through a simple SMS/Android mobile phone application. With this application, Farmers can track their revenues and expenses, and also send demographic information to FarmDrive.
    • hibaerrai
       
      FarmDrive specializes in smallholder farmers businesses; it is not common in Africa. This Fintech helps farmers extract needed loans that will help them grow and expand. This initiative closes thus the gap between agricultors and financial services, and increases financial inclusion.
hindelquarrouti

Kenya Case Study Part I: M-PESA story - 0 views

  • M-PESA was cheaper than banks, and safer and more convenient than handling cash. The financial inclusion driven by M-PESA has greatly led to the growth of Kenya’s digital economy.
  • M-PESA”: that is a name in global fintech history that can never be erased. Not that anybody would want to. Forever it will be the perfect example of a viable financial ecosystem based on rules unthinkable before
  •  
    M-Pesa reformed the Kenyan economy and assumed a significant role in the evolution of the financial industry in Kenya.
  •  
    M-pesa is the perfect example of a company that was based on rules that were unthinkable before. It has established itself in the market by being cheaper than ordinary banks and by being better than handling actual cash.
ayachehbouni

Fawry Teams Up with Visa to Accelerate Digital Payment Solutions Across Egypt - 0 views

  • Feeding into the Central Bank of Egypt’s grand plans of building a digital economy and advancing digital and financial inclusion, the partnership aims to increase use of digital payment solutions such as POS terminals and QR solutions, by leveraging Visa’s global network and Fawy’s on-ground, localised solutions.
    • ayachehbouni
       
      A recent Visa 'Stay Secure' survey in Egypt showed that a high and still rising number of Egyptians now prefer cashless payments. This partnership would help in providing financial services to more unbanked and underbanked and increase electronic payments acceptance, which is both Fawry's and Visa's goal.
hindelquarrouti

Enhancing-the-Entrepreneurship-Framework-in-South-Africa-International-Journal-of-Entre... - 0 views

  •  
    Fintech is becoming the biggest sector in Africa, and companies like Jumo are benefiting from it as they are targeting an unsaturated market rich of unbanked people that need inclusion.
tahaemsd

Democrance - 0 views

  • Designed by AXA and Democrance, Hello Protect taps into Hello Paisa’s existing customer base and allows its members complimentary access to the personal accident insurance for themselves when transferring money through Hello Paisa’s branches. The platform allows users to manage all their insurance needs via their mobile phones. Payouts for all claims are made instantly via Hello Paisa’s remittance houses in beneficiary countries.
    • tahaemsd
       
      launch of a new personal accident insurance sheme for customers of the international money transfer hello paisa
tahaemsd

MoneyFellows raises $4 million in Series A round from Partech and Sawari Ventures | Par... - 0 views

  • MoneyFellows is a financial enabler that provides access to financial planning services, such as money circles and direct lending, to ensure users can effectively manage and plan their financial obligations, and achieve their financial goals. Through managing money circles (gam’eyas), MoneyFellows allows users to sign up for slots in trusted and convenient money circles, ensuring payouts are done on-time and securely deposited. Users can use MoneyFellows to achieve their personal, financial goals, such as paying their children’s school tuition on time or buying certain products and assets. MoneyFellows has raised over $6 million in investment over the past three years. 
    • tahaemsd
       
      MoneyFellows is one of the most promising fintech companies to come out of the region, their fusion of technology and existing rosca culture solves both the problem of financial inclusion
chaimaa-rachid

About | Kiva - 0 views

  • We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
  • We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
    • aminej
       
      Kiva is an interesting platform that offers very interesting funding access to people in different areas of the world. It would enable them to either start a new business or improve theirs. There are already 1.9 million lenders which is quite huge and a repayment rate of 95.9% so I believe that it is really developped.
  • We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
    • kaoutarchennoufi
       
      Kiva is a very impactful organization since it financially helps students and women who want to start their own business. It is well known that these two categories usually face difficulties to contract loans or get any financial service. We need more organizations like Kiva all around Africa.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Kiva started as a pioneer in crowdfunding in 2005, and is constantly innovating to meet people’s diverse lending needs. Whether it’s reinventing microfinance with more flexible terms, supporting community-wide projects or lowering costs to borrowers, we are always testing and learning.
  • We envision a financially inclusive world where all people hold the power to improve their lives.
  •  
    I love the concept of Kiva where you can see technology helping people in their lives. The company aims to link borrowers with lender in order to improve the lifestyle of the people interested in this service. I just like the way Fintech plays a big role in improving our life and Kiva is just a good example of it.
  •  
    Kiva provides attractive access to funding individuals to improve their lives.
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