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ghtazi

AV Ventures Invests in AgroCenta, Supporting Digital and Financial Inclusion of Ghanaia... - 0 views

www.acdivoca.org/...f-ghanaian-smallholder-farmers

Agrocenta COVID19 Security

shared by ghtazi on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • AV Ventures, ACDI/VOCA’s impact investing subsidiary, recently completed its investment in AgroCenta, a technology-driven agricultural platform provider in Ghana. The funding made by AV Ventures is part of a US$790,000 pre-Series A investment round with other participating international institutions, including Shell Foundation, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Rabo Foundation, with support from AgroCenta’s strategic advisor, Qbera Capital.
    • tahaemsd
      tahaemsd on 12 Feb 21
       
      With the newly secured funding, agrocenta will widen the reach of its smallholder farmer financial inclusion programs
  • The digital services AgroCenta provides along the selected cereals value chain also improve the repayment of loans by smallholder farmers. The services provide farmers with an end market through the offtaking of produce and through facilitating the provision of high-quality agricultural inputs, which maximize their yields and productivity. To date, the average farmer on CropChain has increased their income by 35 percent and their crop yields by 40 percent, while reducing their food waste by 25 percent. AgroCenta has also made strides to promote gender and social inclusion; nearly half of its CropChain users and more than half of its microloan borrowers on LendIt are female smallholder farmers. 
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
       
      This excerpt is important because it introduces the results of using AgroCenta on smallholder farmers, ranging between the maximization of productivity, of income, reduction of food waste,to gender and social inclusion.
  • Founded in 2016, AgroCenta operates two integrated digital platforms in Ghana, CropChain and LendIt, to help address challenges related to smallholder farmers’ access to markets and financial services.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      Since 2016, AgroCenta operates 2 digital platforms: - CropChain: integrated agricultural supply chain management platform. - LendIt: allowing access to financial services like mobile payments, microloans, crop insurance.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Poor infrastructure and logistics prevent many smallholder farmers in Ghana from accessing large, urban markets where they could obtain better prices for their crops. Many of these farmers lack information on fair market prices, which leaves them susceptible to selling at low prices to middlemen. Without a strong credit history, many of them also have limited access to finance for purchasing high-quality agricultural inputs that would enable them to scale beyond subsistent production.  
    • sawsanenn
      sawsanenn on 13 Feb 21
       
      this excerpt shows reasons why smallholder farmers should consider agrocenta to increase their profitability and their revenues
  • For AV Ventures, the investment is part of its long-term strategy of providing innovative and catalytic capital to support growth-oriented small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like AgroCenta that make up the “missing middle” of investment — too large for microfinance but too small or too early-stage to attract private equity investors. These SMEs are often the backbone of economies and potential drivers of innovation, but too often they miss out on financing that could enable their growth and longevity.  
    • hibaerrai
      hibaerrai on 13 Feb 21
       
      Agrocenta attracts more investors as it is considered among small and medium businesses that promote innovation. In fact, the fintech is specialized in agricultural loans, something not that common in the country.
  • CropChain is an integrated agricultural supply chain management platform that provides smallholder farmers with access to markets. Farmers use the platform to advertise their produce, while large offtakers or buyers of selected cereals use it to make purchases or enter long-term offtaker purchase contracts with AgroCenta. AgroCenta leverages the platform to source cereals directly from smallholder farmers to supply to large offtakers who have contracts with the company. This allows AgroCenta to earn margins between the price it pays farmers and the contractually agreed upon price with offtakers.
    • mbellakbail69
      mbellakbail69 on 13 Feb 21
       
      Agrocenta draws even more investment amongst SMEs that promote innovation. This extract shows some of the reasons why smallholders should consider Agrocentra for increasing the profitability and income .
  • “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission. The demand for agricultural raw materials from offtakers in the brewery, manufacturing, and consumer sector is increasing exponentially because of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place by the government of Ghana. Hence, this capital injection will help to secure purchases at fair and transparent prices from smallholders — a much needed lifeline for many who are at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid.”
    • ghtazi
      ghtazi on 13 Feb 21
       
      in this excerpt, we can see how agrocenta takes the pandemic situation and what are the solutions that the company adopts to face it.
kenza_abdelhaq

A strategic partnership between HUAWEI and TPAY MOBILE - 0 views

tpaymobile.com/r-developers-in-the-mea-region

TPay Mobile Algeria Partnership

shared by kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Huawei and TPAY MOBILE have been working closely as part of their ongoing commitment to support developers in the MEA region. This partnership will allow local and global developers to monetize their apps and services through HMS’ In-App-Purchases (IAP) kit across the region. TPAY MOBILE’s Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) service offers all Huawei’s HMS customers in the MEA region the ability to pay for their apps and services through their mobile phone number. This will make it more accessible for Huawei and HONOR device users to pay for online services and apps on HMS.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      Tpay Mobile partnered up with Huawei to support developers in the MEA region and enable them to receive payments for their apps and services through their mobile phone number.
  • kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
     
    "Huawei and TPAY MOBILE have been working closely as part of their ongoing commitment to support developers in the MEA region. This partnership will allow local and global developers to monetize their apps and services through HMS' In-App-Purchases (IAP) kit across the region. TPAY MOBILE's Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) service offers all Huawei's HMS customers in the MEA region the ability to pay for their apps and services through their mobile phone number. This will make it more accessible for Huawei and HONOR device users to pay for online services and apps on HMS."
nouhaila_zaki

Mama Money - New Transfer Providers | Digital Frontiers Institute - 0 views

digitalfrontiersinstitute.org/...ewest-money-transfer-providers

Mukuru Lesotho Competitors Mama Money

shared by nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • So how does Mama Money offer their service at 5% whereas Mukuru, arguably the most popular service over the South Africa-Zimbabwe corridor, charges double this? From our experience of testing these two services, we noted a few key differences in how they operate which is likely to drive the cost differential between the two services. These differences include: · Mama Money maintain low overhead costs. Mama Money operate a single branch in Cape Town whereas Mukuru operate at least seven of their own branches nationally and they also operate through the Inter Africa branch network · Mama Money offer limited support beyond registration. In comparison, Mukuru operate a large 24 hour call centre and live chat function that supports and facilitates transfers. These support functions are no doubt very expensive to operate · Mama Money have a single partner organisation in Zimbabwe. Mama Money only have a single partner in Zimbabwe, CABS bank, whereas Mukuru have partnerships with a number of banks, retailers and mobile wallets. That said, if Mama Money’s Facebook comments are anything to go by, they may be adding more partner organisations in Zimbabwe, so this factor may soon be invalidated So while Mama Money’s competitors charge considerably higher fees, in the case of Mukuru, these higher fees are associated with some value-added benefits for the customer, for instance 24hr support on transactions for the sender and, for the recipient, a choice in how to receive the money.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
       
      This excerpt explains how one of Mukuru's competitors Mama Money manages to charge lower commission fees (only 5% for Mama Money, and 10% for Mukuru). This could become an opportunity for growth for Mukuru who can attempt to find ways to cut its commission fees to attract more customers while maintaining its high quality and diversifying towards other services/products to gain more profit elsewhere.
mehdibella

Ghanaian Agritech startup, Agrocenta raises $790k pre-series A - Techpoint Africa - 1 views

techpoint.africa/...agrocenta-raises-790k

ghana Fintech Agrocenta

shared by mehdibella on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • In 2018, Agrocenta won the Seedstars World competition — an early-stage startup pitching competition –, receiving $500k in equity funding. By December of the same year, the company closed a seed round of equity and non-equity funding to scale its operations. 
  • Ghanaian Agritech startup, Agrocenta has raised $790,000 pre-series A funding. The investors that took part in the round include Shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation.
  • The latest funding takes Agrocenta’s total disclosed funding to $1.9 million.
  • ...5 more annotations...
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 12 Feb 21
       
      This article is important because it reflects the/some sources of funding, namely grants from competitions or series A equity, that AgroCenta is using to finance its operations.
  • “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission.”
    • kenzabenessalah
      kenzabenessalah on 12 Feb 21
       
      I feel grateful to know that AgroCenta is being supported by leading institutions. During this pandemic, farmers need all the support they can get.
  • Ghanaian Agritech startup, Agrocenta has raised $790,000 pre-series A funding. The investors that took part in the round include Shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures and Rabo
  • The company claims the registered farmers on its app, CropChain, has rapidly grown from 3,000 to 48,000. These farmers handle crops like maize, rice, soybean, cowpeas, and sorghum.
  • “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission.”
    • mehdibella
      mehdibella on 13 Feb 21
       
      Ghanaian Agritech startup, Agrocenta has raised $790,000 pre-series A funding. The investors that took part in the round include Shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures and Rabo
aymanelmamoun

Standard Bank SnapScan - The quick, reliable, and secure payment solution for your busi... - 0 views

businesstech.co.za/...ent-solution-for-your-business

FinTech SnapScan E-Payment Africa Technology

shared by aymanelmamoun on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • SnapScan lets users make payments with their phone – quickly, easily, and safely. All SnapScan-supported stores have their own unique SnapCode (which is a QR code), and customers can make a payment in-store to them by scanning the code using the camera on their phone and the SnapScan app. Additionally, SnapScan lets users send money to friends, make online payments, pay bills, buy prepaid services in the app, and earn UCount Rewards Points when making a purchase.
    • mbellakbail69
      mbellakbail69 on 13 Feb 21
       
      SnapScan provides an easy solution that is highly ideal for small and medium-sized companies anywhere and at any time. In times where electrical payment systems are not available, SnapScan is also a great solution.
    • omarlahmidi
      omarlahmidi on 13 Feb 21
       
      SnapScan make customer's life easier by online payments, sending money to friends.
  • All SnapScan-supported stores have their own unique SnapCode (which is a QR code), and customers can make a payment in-store to them by scanning the code using the camera on their phone and the SnapScan app. Additionally, SnapScan lets users send money to friends, make online payments, pay bills, buy prepaid services in the app, and earn UCount Rewards Points when making a purchase
    • aymanelmamoun
      aymanelmamoun on 13 Feb 21
       
      SnapScan is very innovative in the way that they offer QR code scanning to pay. Payment with camera allows the customer to pay bills, prepaid app-services, earn rewards, etc.
  • SnapScan is compatible with most bank cards, as well as the Standard Bank Virtual Card, and as a result is currently one of the most popular mobile payment apps in South Africa.
    • omarlahmidi
      omarlahmidi on 13 Feb 21
       
      SnapScan make customer's life easier by making online payments and sending money to friends.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • SnapScan lets users make payments with their phone – quickly, easily, and safely. All SnapScan-supported stores have their own unique SnapCode (which is a QR code), and customers can make a payment in-store to them by scanning the code using the camera on their phone and the SnapScan app. Additionally, SnapScan lets users send money to friends, make online payments, pay bills, buy prepaid services in the app, and earn UCount Rewards Points when making a purchase.
nouhaila_zaki

How TPAY MOBILE is supporting inclusion across the Middle East and Africa - TPAY MOBILE - 4 views

tpaymobile.com/oss-the-middle-east-and-africa

TPAY Algeria Financial inclusion

shared by nouhaila_zaki on 07 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • And today our technology does just that, by allowing merchants and operators to accept mobile payments from consumers without the need for a traditional bank account.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 07 Feb 21
       
      This reflects how the company targets underbanked groups, and how it achieves financial inclusion.
  • Coupled with the differing financial, legal, and operational processes across the MEA region is limited access to traditional banking infrastructure, with 63% (circa 1 billion) of the adult population unbanked. While this is a common trait in emerging markets, it does mean that traditional transactions based on credit and debit cards are not a realistic prospect for many consumers. However, with smartphone penetration growing apace, and with it the ability and desire to purchase goods and services through digital channels, there is an increasing need for alternative payment methods to support access and consumption.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 07 Feb 21
       
      Here the article explains why there is a need for TPAY Mobile products: 1- Largely unbanked population = traditional transactions based on debit and credit cards are not realistic. 2- Smartphone penetration + ability & desire to purchase digitally = need for alternative payment methods.
  • And our team’s inclusion efforts don’t stop there. TPAY MOBILE employees have been volunteering and hosting financial literacy workshops with INJAZ Egypt, a non-profit organization empowering young people to own their economic success through partnering with businesses and educational institutions across the country.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 07 Feb 21
       
      Social work for financial inclusion appears to be a priority for the company. Collaboration with an NGO in Egypt reflects that.
  • kenza_abdelhaq on 07 Feb 21
     
    Very interesting company! Even though it is an Algerian company, its scope goes beyond the African borders to include the whole MEA region!
hibaerrai

Ghana's AgroCenta raises US$ 790k to scale its Agri-tech ecosystem - 0 views

africabusinesscommunities.com/...-scale-its-agri-tech-ecosystem

shared by hibaerrai on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Through AgroCenta’s CropChain platform, smallholder farmers can execute transactions with accurate information. Since the app’s launch, the average CropChain farmer’s income has increased by circa 35%.  AgroCenta says it has managed to reduce food waste by 25%.
    • tahaemsd
      tahaemsd on 12 Feb 21
       
      via an all encompasing ecosystem approach, agrocenta blends cutting edge digital innovation with traditional on the ground operations to transform the lives of smallholder farmes in Ghana
  • Agriculture accounts for circa. 17% of Ghana’s GDP. Through its outreach and services, AgroCenta has increased crop yields of farmers by 40% thereby contributing to Ghana’s economy at large.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      AgroCenta contributes to Ghana's economy by providing support to smallholder farmers along the value chain.
  • This funding was secured from UK charity Shell Foundation, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation. “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission. The demand for agricultural raw materials from offtakers in the brewery, manufacturing and consumer sector is increasing exponentially because of the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place by the government of Ghana, hence this capital injection will help to secure purchases at fair and transparent prices from smallholders — a much needed lifeline for many who are at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid”. Francis Obirikorang, AgroCenta’s CEO and Co-Founder Michael Ocansey said while highlighting the importance and criticality of this investment.
    • hibaerrai
      hibaerrai on 13 Feb 21
       
      After the Covid-19 Outbreak, the situation in farms was quite challenging as lockdowns were imposed. Now with easier restrictions, AgroCenta raised a huge amount of funds in order to cover for the losses and develop its fintech more and more. This money should be used to develop programs and services that support financial inclusion.
  • kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
     
    "Agriculture accounts for circa. 17% of Ghana's GDP. Through its outreach and services, AgroCenta has increased crop yields of farmers by 40% thereby contributing to Ghana's economy at large."
mohammed_ab

How to Get a Kiva Loan: A Step by Step Guide - Small Business Trends - 2 views

smallbiztrends.com/...how-to-get-a-kiva-loan.html

Kiva Crowdfunding Entrepreneurs Microfinance

shared by mohammed_ab on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Kiva Small Business Loan FeaturesSome attractive aspects of a Kiva loan includes more flexible terms, low costs to borrowers and emphasis on supporting community-wide projects that can shape the future for a family or an entire community.
  • Some attractive aspects of a Kiva loan includes more flexible terms, low costs to borrowers and emphasis on supporting community-wide projects that can shape the future for a family or an entire community.
  • hichamachir on 12 Feb 21
     
    Kiva is helping financing many important projects in Kenya. This business is changing people's life and I think that's the objective of Fintechs.
  • mohammed_ab on 13 Feb 21
     
    I think that we should see more fintech companies like Kiva. I believe that fintech companies should always offer solutions that support community projects. I like the social impact that Kiva has on African countries.
ayachehbouni

SimbaPay's Zero-rate Money Transfer Service Now Supports M-Pesa Paybill for Kenyans in ... - 0 views

techcabal.com/...-paybill-for-kenyans-in-the-uk

shared by ayachehbouni on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Digital money transfer provider, SimbaPay has announced that it now supports Safaricom’s M-Pesa PayBill payment service in Kenya. This development broadens the reach of the M-Pesa Paybill service which was previously limited to Safaricom subscribers within Kenya. Now, Kenyans living abroad will be able to make payments in Kenya on the M-Pesa Paybill service via the SimbaPay App.
    • ayachehbouni
      ayachehbouni on 13 Feb 21
       
      Thanks to this development, SimbaPay users in the UK will be able to make instant money transfers at no cost and will not need a Safaricom phone number or M-Pesa registration to make transactions with vendors using M-Pesa Paybill in Kenya. I believe that this would greatly increase both platforms' customer base.
mehdibella

GSMA | Meet our portfolio start-ups: AgroCenta, Ghana | Mobile for Development - 0 views

www.gsma.com/...olio-start-ups-agrocenta-ghana

ghana Fintech Agrocenta

shared by mehdibella on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • The start-up provides access to truck delivery services and real-time market information via SMS and IVR. Building on this platform, AgroCenta now enables farmers to receive mobile money, build their credit score and access financial services (like crop insurance) through its latest mobile product, AgroPay.
  • In a country where agriculture is the primary economic occupation of many — employing 52 per cent of Ghana’s labour force — the AgriTech start-up launched AgroTrade, an online platform that connects smallholder farmers in the staple food value chain to a wider online market.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 12 Feb 21
       
      This excerpt is important because it reflects the importance of agriculture in Ghana, and which products/services offered by AgroCenta serve to do: AgroTrade connects smallholder farmers to a wider online market & AgroPay allows farmers to receive money, build their credit score and access financial services i.e. crop insurance through their mobile phones.
  • In Ghana, AgroCenta has set up a mobile money API integration partnership with MTN and Vodafone to pay smallholder farmers directly and seamlessly via mobile money through its AgroPay platform.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 12 Feb 21
       
      This part reflects the collaborations engaged by AgroCenta with mobile operators MTN and Vodafone to support financial literacy and facilitate the transfer of mobile money.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Both mobile operators will also be supporting AgroCenta farmers with financial literacy training on-the-ground. AgroCenta has also strengthened its partnership with Vodafone Ghana to allow smallholder farmers on its platform to access free voice calls between farmers and discounted mobile devices and bundles
  • Both mobile operators will also be supporting AgroCenta farmers with financial literacy training on-the-ground. AgroCenta has also strengthened its partnership with Vodafone Ghana to allow smallholder farmers on its platform to access free voice calls between farmers and discounted mobile devices and bundles
  • Through this partnership, Vodafone Ghana can liaise with the AgroCenta team to onboard AgroCenta farmers on its Small Office/Home Office (SoHo) packages.
    • mehdibella
      mehdibella on 13 Feb 21
       
      As of July 2019, AgroCenta had registered 46,100 smallholder farmers on the AgroTrade platform across four regions and 640 communities.
  • As of July 2019, AgroCenta had registered 46,100 smallholder farmers on the AgroTrade platform across four regions and 640 communities.
  • lack of access to structured markets, which leaves them at the mercy of predatory brokers or middlemen who buy at exploitative prices, and lack of access to finance, which means they may never move beyond smallholder farming to middle-level or even commercial farming.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      The inability of smallholder farmers to access markets pushes them to sell to middlemen with exploitative prices and the incapacity to get loans also prevents these farmers to grow.
  • kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
     
    "lack of access to structured markets, which leaves them at the mercy of predatory brokers or middlemen who buy at exploitative prices, and lack of access to finance, which means they may never move beyond smallholder farming to middle-level or even commercial farming."
mehdibella

Mobile payment app for cardless transactions | SnapScan - 0 views

www.snapscan.co.za/user.html

Fintech finance SouthAfrica snapscan

shared by mehdibella on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • DonateSupport the causes close to your heart. You can make a once-off donation, and even elect to repeat your donation, turning it into an ongoing, monthly contribution. Have a look at the organisations in the Donate section of the app. Quick and easy way to support a cause Set up a monthly payment to make a long term difference Stay in control, you can view or cancel the contribution at any time
    • samiatazi
      samiatazi on 13 Feb 21
       
      I find it interesting to put Donate section in the platform first page because contributing to the support of the community would enhance the public image of the brand ! So Fintechs can still keep the original values of the companies while going digital.
  • SnapScan is an app that lets you pay with your phone quickly, easily, and safely. Your SnapScan app uses your phone's camera to scan a SnapCode (a unique QR code). Stores have their own SnapCodes, and scanning these codes allows you to pay them. SnapScan is free to use and works with any South African bank, and most international credit cards.
    • tahaemsd
      tahaemsd on 13 Feb 21
       
      With snapscan, people can pay in a snap, without the fuss of handling cash, cards or EFTs.
    • kenzabenessalah
      kenzabenessalah on 13 Feb 21
       
      SnapScan allows people to pay with a simple scan using a QR code rather than using real cash. This is useful in today's world, especially with the pandemic.
  • Our scan to pay feature is definitely our most loved solution, but we're evolving into so much more because we can't stop making your lives easier. With SnapScan you can pay in a snap, without the fuss of handling cash, cards, or EFTs.
    • mehdibella
      mehdibella on 13 Feb 21
       
      This article points out that the business idea of Snapscan arrised from a simple discussion between a magazine seller and a cashless buyer, now it is one of the biggest Fintechs in Africa. indeed, We should believe in our potential to change others' life.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • What is SnapScan?
  • Your SnapScan app uses your phone's camera to scan a SnapCode (a unique QR code). Stores have their own SnapCodes, and scanning these codes allows you to pay them. SnapScan is free to use and works with any South African bank, and most international credit cards.
  • SnapScan pay links A SnapScan merchant can send you a pay link via SMS or email, which allows you to skip the whole scanning bit altogether, once you tap the link it takes you directly to the pay screen of your app. In-app purchases Take a look inside your SnapScan app. You’ll notice there’s a Prepaid section for airtime, data, and electricity, as well as a section to pay your bills, pay for parking, and donate to the causes close to your heart.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      As an alternative to QR code scanning, SnapScan also allows payments to be done through links that take the user directly yo the pay screen of the app or the "In-app" purchases
  • kenzabenessalah on 13 Feb 21
     
    "loved "
  • hindelquarrouti on 13 Feb 21
     
    There is no doubt that Snapscan has expanded as it strategically covers different area of daily life. From bills payments to donations and sending money. Especially, it has helped customers in avoiding entering their information in different websites, using Snapscan is enough.
mehdibella

Nigerian fintech startup Carbon launches $100k entrepreneurship fund - Disrupt Africa - 0 views

disrupt-africa.com/...hes-100k-entrepreneurship-fund

Bank Transfer Money Telecom Fintech Strategy

shared by mehdibella on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • “Common investor wisdom is to stay in your market and dominate. This assumes that you are expanding on your own but we believe that by collaborating and partnering deliberately, Carbon and other tech companies can scale faster and build more enduring platforms,” Chijioke Dozie, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Carbon, said. 
    • nourserghini
      nourserghini on 13 Feb 21
       
      This shows that Carbon is more interested in collaboration than in competition because it knows the power and innovation of tech companies.
  • Nigerian fintech startup Carbon has set up a US$100,000 pan-African fund to address the lack of funding and support holding back entrepreneurs on the continent.Consumer lending platform Carbon, which rebranded in April as parent company OneFi continues to transition into being a full digital banking platform after raising US$5 million in debt funding and acquiring Nigerian payments startup Amplify, has been busy expanding its offering, and has also moved into new markets with a Kenyan launch.Its “Disrupt fund” is the first of its kind by an African fintech startup, and will invest up to US$10,000 per startup for five per cent equity. Portfolio companies will also be given access to Carbon’s API, allowing them to leverage Carbon’s growing customer base and innovative technology platform to get to market faster. Carbon expects the initiative to spark more collaboration and further investment that should drive growth across the ecosystem, and is accepting applications from companies with operations in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Egypt. Startups looking to apply for the fund must have a functioning product, be post-revenue, and be looking to operate in multiple countries. The fund has a wide investment mandate but target sectors include insurance, health and education.“There are many excellent companies across the continent looking for the kind of scale Nigeria offers and we are excited to partner with them to provide the support and financial investment they need. We are equally excited to expand beyond Nigeria and Kenya by working with a new generation of innovators across the continent and sharing our experience to tackle common obstacles to growth.”
    • samiatazi
      samiatazi on 13 Feb 21
       
      A pan-African fund was founded by fintech startup Carbon to resolve the shortfalls in financing and assistance. The Fund will spend 5 percent of its equity in up to US$10,000 per start-up. Carbon expects the program to promote more coordination and more spending to fuel growth. The applications of businesses in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast are approved.
  • Nigerian fintech startup Carbon has set up a US$100,000 pan-African fund to address the lack of funding and support holding back entrepreneurs on the continent.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Consumer lending platform Carbon, which rebranded in April as parent company OneFi continues to transition into being a full digital banking platform after raising US$5 million in debt funding and acquiring Nigerian payments startup Amplify, has been busy expanding its offering, and has also moved into new markets with a Kenyan launch
  • Carbon expects the initiative to spark more collaboration and further investment that should drive growth across the ecosystem, and is accepting applications from companies with operations in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Egypt. 
hindelquarrouti

Dubai's Tpay Mobile Acquires Payguru, a Turkish Payments Company that Supports Mobile T... - 1 views

www.crowdfundinsider.com/...t-supports-mobile-transactions

Tpay segment Fintech

shared by hindelquarrouti on 08 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Founded in Cairo, Egypt, Tpay Mobile says it’s the leading digital merchant acquirer in the MENA region
  • The company supports DCB via three mobile network operators and it facilitates bank transfers and ATM withdrawals through large banks.
  • hindelquarrouti on 08 Feb 21
     
    By acquiring Payguru, Tpay has enlarged its range of customer. It has made acquisition with the intent of becoming the leading digital payment platform in the MENA region. As well as, it has helped them make a step forward in the process of digital and financial inclusion in the region.
nouhaila_zaki

EthioPay | Welcome - 0 views

ethiopaycenter.com

Ethiopay Ethiopia Mission

shared by nouhaila_zaki on 08 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Ethiopay operates a flexible, tightly regulated, global payout platform. This enables you to automate your user payments flow, pay less for your transactions, access flexible online reports, guarantee the integrity of all your payment traffic, ensure your payments go through as planned….the list goes on.
    • sawsanenn
      sawsanenn on 08 Feb 21
       
      Ethiopay is a centralized global payout platform that currently enables users a simple and convenient way to transfer and/or purchase cross border bill pay, money transfer, mobile data, and mobile minutes between anywhere around the world and Ethiopia. Ethiopay is an emerging FinTech solution to address the social and economic gaps left by established payment solutions.
  • Ethiopay operates a flexible, tightly regulated, global payout platform. This enables you to automate your user payments flow, pay less for your transactions, access flexible online reports, guarantee the integrity of all your payment traffic, ensure your payments go through as planned….the list goes on.
  • Paying utility and school fees is an important way of empowering your loved ones back home. Whether you are in North America or Europe, Ethiopay offers an easy and reliable way to do this. In addition, you can opt to set up scheduled payments so the payments are made at the beginning of each school term or any other time frame your choose.
    • sawsanenn
      sawsanenn on 13 Feb 21
       
      Ethiopay encourages students to believe and start work with e-payments platforms, and we can see that they are making it so easy for everybody which encourage all Ethiopians to switch to digital platforms and trust them.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • While other platforms are a one-size-fits-all, Ethiopay isn’t. We support the unique payment needs of Ethiopians including payments for school fees, telecom, utility bills and other needs that are close to your heart. Our vision is a future where Ethiopians in the the diaspora touch the lives of those back home through easy, secure and seamless payments. To achieve this, we are on a mission to build the most reliable payments platform serving Ethiopians in the world. We want to make it so easy for you to send money home that your loved ones will feel as though you were right there with them.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
       
      This excerpt is important because it introduces the mission statement and vision of Ethiopia. The mission of the company is to ensure the most reliable payments platform for Ethiopians around the world. The vision, on the other hand, is a future where Ethiopian diaspora can help their families back home through easy, secure and seemless payments ensured by Ethiopay.
  • nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
     
    "We support the unique payment needs of Ethiopians including payments for school fees, telecom, utility bills and other needs that are close to your heart. O"
ghtazi

Mukuru CEO - Using technology to serve the underserved - Intelligent CIO Africa - 0 views

www.intelligentcio.com/...nology-to-serve-the-underserve

Zimbabwe African Financial Inclusion

shared by ghtazi on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Biometrics is another sort of key differentiator in the space for increased security and ease of sign-up. Africa is ready for digitisation, and we have already seen good traction in SA with our Mukuru Card product. Mukuru is investing in technology to support customers as they digitise in the coming years, across our footprint.
  • Ensuring that the core stability and functional capability brought about by the technologies and coding languages mentioned earlier is of paramount importance. We are relaunching our app and that’s been built on the Flutter framework. The app is important because it allows for content rich customer engagements.It will also enable us to ingest/scan customer documents in real-time, process card payments securely so that customers can create and pay for orders in one step as opposed to two, as well as allowing for a host of additional customer facing services and capabilities to be deployed.The core DNA of our business is making sure that it’s super simple and that somebody with a feature phone is not precluded from using the service, because that is the essence of where our customer base is at, so we want modular technological capabilities that we can use in any conditions.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
       
      This article is important because it touches upon different facets of Mukuru, but the highlighted excerpts are very interesting because they enumerate the different technologies in which Mukuru is investing and the reasons behind such investmnents.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Mukuru has been at the forefront of technology launching a multitude of cutting-edge initiatives designed to solve problems for the African migrant diaspora.This year has seen it launch Mukuru Groceries – a service that is giving SADC based customers the ability to send groceries to their families and communities back home in Zimbabwe.At a time when many families are struggling to obtain basic commodities, Mukuru Groceries will help support Zimbabwe’s large diaspora in their quest to send critical financial resources to families back home.
    • hibaerrai
      hibaerrai on 13 Feb 21
       
      Even if Mukuru operates only in Africa, it creates new concepts that will make their services essential in the country. Mukuru groceries is a smart strategy, and it will help attracting more and more customers as it supports one of their vital needs.
  • Through our partnerships we have over 300,000 pay-in and pay-out points across Africa. We’ve partnered with major banks in all the territories we operate in – if we don’t have a licence, particularly at the outset of a product or service offering, in the country, then we have to use an authorised dealer bank. We work with the big retailers in South Africa, that have been exceptional at making their branch infrastructure with their footprint available to digital services. So we work with all the big retailers in South Africa and similarly so in other territories, so companies like Shoprite, Pick n Pay,Boxer, Spar, PEP, Massmart, complemented by mobile wallets like mPesa – a range of key names.
    • sawsanenn
      sawsanenn on 13 Feb 21
       
      Working with different partners across Africa can be beneficial to Mukura since they can expand their business in other countries besides the ones that they are already working with.
  • The company has also formed a partnership with WorldRemit, a leading global online money transfer service, to facilitate money transfers to Zimbabwe from across the globe. The partnership will be instrumental in bringing world-class financial services to Zimbabweans and generating new synergies for African financial inclusion
    • ghtazi
      ghtazi on 13 Feb 21
       
      in this excerpt, we can see that the company has a partnership with WorldRemit, which is a leading global online money transfer service, in order to facilitate the transfer of money for Zimbabwe from across the globe. which in my humble opinion will create and generate new synergies for African financial inclusion.
ghtazi

Mukuru international money transfers review | Finder South Africa - 0 views

www.finder.com/...mukuru-money-transfers

Deposit Payment Methods

shared by ghtazi on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Mukuru specialises in single transfers to friends and family, whether over the phone, through the app, online, bank transfers or through one of its branches. You can’t set up a recurring transfer through Mukuru and it doesn’t specialise in business transfers.You can make transfers to any of the following, depending on the country you’re sending to:Bank account. The money will be deposited directly into the bank account you choose. You’ll need to know the SWIFT code as well. This option is currently available for all supported countries.Cash pick-up location. You can send money to a cash pick-up location for your recipient to collect. If you choose this option, the person picking it up will need a valid photo ID on hand and the reference number. You’ll only be able to use this for transfers to Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia and Zambia.Mobile wallet. Send to your recipient’s smartphone wallet. This option is helpful if your recipient doesn’t have a bank account and isn’t near a cash pick-up location. You can use it in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.Top-up card collection. This is used when you want to send money directly to your recipient’s card. You’ll need their card number and address. This is currently only available in Zimbabwe.
    • hibaerrai
      hibaerrai on 13 Feb 21
       
      Mukuru proposes numerous services, however I believe that they should step up and propose new different services. Banks propose similar services. They should take advantage of new technologies and online platform to expand more.
  • The supported payment methods vary depending on where you are in the world but from South Africa, you’ll have a few options: make a cash deposit at one of Mukuru’s partner branches, online or telephone banking, bank transfer or through a Mukuru Money prepaid debit card, which all customers in South Africa qualify for. South Africa is the only country in Africa that allows bank transfers with Mukuru.
    • ghtazi
      ghtazi on 13 Feb 21
       
      Depending on where you are in the world, the supported payment methods differ, but you will have a few choices from South Africa: make a cash deposit at one of Mukuru's partner branches, online or telephone banking, bank transfer, or via a prepaid debit card for Mukuru Money, which all South African customers apply for. The only country in Africa that makes Mukuru bank transfers is South Africa.
mehdi-ezzaoui

This startup has a simple plan to de-risk small-scale African farming | The Optimist Da... - 1 views

www.optimistdaily.com/...sk-small-scale-african-farming

PULA Fintech Service

shared by mehdi-ezzaoui on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • African agriculture, especially small farms, have not had it easy over the past few years. Droughts, pests, floods, and local conflict have exacerbated challenges for many food producers. This is why insurtech startup Pula is working to provide small farmers with insurance to help manage the implications of climate change and other environmental uncertainties. The startup begins the farming season by sending representatives to farms to gauge the potential yield of the season. Pula then sends this estimate to insurance companies to generate a policy offer. According to Pula, the initiative has been so successful because in every African country they have worked in, there are insurance companies willing to support their initiative.
  • mehdi-ezzaoui on 13 Feb 21
     
    "African agriculture, especially small farms, have not had it easy over the past few years. Droughts, pests, floods, and local conflict have exacerbated challenges for many food producers. This is why insurtech startup Pula is working to provide small farmers with insurance to help manage the implications of climate change and other environmental uncertainties.  The startup begins the farming season by sending representatives to farms to gauge the potential yield of the season. Pula then sends this estimate to insurance companies to generate a policy offer. According to Pula, the initiative has been so successful because in every African country they have worked in, there are insurance companies willing to support their initiative."
  • mehdi-ezzaoui on 13 Feb 21
     
    Insurtech is one of the fastest growing fintech sectors. Pula recently raised $6 million in a Series A fundraising and plans to expand its innovative business model to Asia soon.
mbellakbail69

Fawry | IBM - 3 views

www.ibm.com/...ware-flashsystem-power-systems

shared by mbellakbail69 on 07 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Fawry now supports millions of transactions daily for consumers and business through more than 90,000 locations (including groceries, pharmacies, stationaries and post offices), as well as through multiple alternative channels, including online, ATMs, and mobile wallets. The company’s client base and service offerings continue to expand, leading to rapid data growth. Abbas comments: "Our data has doubled in just the last eight months, and we expect it to grow even faster in the years to come.”
  • The technology offers data compression and deduplication features that enable Fawry to boost utilization of storage resources. Abbas adds: “IBM FlashSystem A9000R offers much greater performance than our previous storage platform, meaning that we get both optimized data economics and short response times. We were able to achieve a seamless migration to the new platform with zero downtime.”
  • Each day, Fawry processes 2 million financial transactions, giving Egyptians an easy, secure payment alternative to the complex, time-consuming procedures that are the norm. To help grow customer satisfaction and speed the roll-out of new services, Fawry deployed IBM® Storage, IBM Db2® and Oracle database on IBM Power Systems™ solutions.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • With a population of over 100 million people, Egypt is a land of opportunity for consumer services providers. In a country where payment procedures are often slow, fragmented and complex, Fawry identified a gap in the market for a simple, secure omnichannel payment gateway.
    • nouhaila_zaki
      nouhaila_zaki on 13 Feb 21
       
      This excerpt is important because it introduces the need that Fawry was created to tackle and the market gap that it saw as an opportunity to prosper. It is very important to understand the core problem around which Fawry services were designed, in order to be able to design and develop strategies that are faithful to this same goal.
  • Fawry now supports millions of transactions daily for consumers and business through more than 90,000 locations (including groceries, pharmacies, stationaries and post offices), as well as through multiple alternative channels, including online, ATMs, and mobile wallets. The company’s client base and service offerings continue to expand, leading to rapid data growth. Abbas comments: "Our data has doubled in just the last eight months, and we expect it to grow even faster in the years to come.”
    • samielbaqqali
      samielbaqqali on 12 Feb 21
       
      Fawry strives to make the life of their customer simpler. They have an e-commerce solution that links sellers to buyers that provide different methods of payment.
  • Fawry Putting Egypt on the global digital payments map
  • The company’s success is built on delivering consistently fast, dependable services alongside continual innovation. Seeing an opportunity to do more with its data, Fawry evaluated its technology infrastructure to ensure it was ready for the next phase in its evolution.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
      kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
       
      Fawry focuses on fast and dependable services based on innovation. The company also works on making better use of the data collected to make informed decisions; while keeping in mind the importance of a good technology infrastructure ready for the implementation of any new phase.
  • Haytham Abbas, Infrastructure Director at Fawry, picks up the story: “When we launched in 2008, the average household had to deal with around 13 separate utility and service providers. Since they typically had to set up payments with each service provider separately, often by visiting a branch, this was a lot of hassle. We created an omnichannel digital payment network to make life easier for consumers and the businesses that serve them.”
  • Fawry has a long history with IBM, having chosen IBM solutions to underpin its business again and again over the last decade. The company relies on both IBM Db2 and Oracle database software running on IBM Power Systems to support its bespoke electronic financial platform, processing 2 million transactions per day. “Together, IBM Db2, Oracle database and IBM Power Systems solutions give us the ability to process huge transaction volumes,” comments Abbas. “They provide a powerful foundation for our business, and have scaled seamlessly as we’ve grown.”
    • mbellakbail69
      mbellakbail69 on 13 Feb 21
       
      To ensure that it selected the best offerings on the market for its latest refresh, the company's IT team undertook a thorough evaluation of storage and server options from multiple vendors.
  • chaimaa-rachid on 07 Feb 21
     
    Fawry aims to make their client's life easier. They have an e-commerce solution that connects sellers with buyers offering various payment methods.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • hichamachir on 12 Feb 21
     
    The success of the compnay relies on its partnerships. Fawry's partnership with IBM is brilliant because IBM can offer Fawry some advanced technology that can help improve the business.
  • hindelquarrouti on 13 Feb 21
     
    Fawri is a secure alternative to the traditional procedures. It is user friendly and Egiptians are benefiting from it.
  • kenza_abdelhaq on 13 Feb 21
     
    "The company's success is built on delivering consistently fast, dependable services alongside continual innovation. Seeing an opportunity to do more with its data, Fawry evaluated its technology infrastructure to ensure it was ready for the next phase in its evolution."
kaoutarchennoufi

Finances | Kiva - 0 views

www.kiva.org/finances

KIVA Donations Lenders OperationsCosts

shared by kaoutarchennoufi on 12 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Kiva covers operating costs primarily through the generosity of our lenders, who can choose to make donations in addition to loans. We cover more than two-thirds of our operating costs through these voluntary donations from Kiva lenders. The remainder of our costs are covered through grants, donations from foundations and supporters and Field Partner service fees. This model of fundraising helps promote sustainability, by keeping our fundraising costs low and tapping into the power of the crowd to help cover our costs.
    • kaoutarchennoufi
      kaoutarchennoufi on 12 Feb 21
       
      Covering the operations costs by the donations provided by the lenders in addition to the loans in such a clever and innovative cost reduction strategy. Moreover, the transparency that Kiva is showing to the lender will encourage them to give more loans and donations. In other words, they know where their money goes. Otherwise, lenders might think that by donating, they are contributing to the salary of organization's CEO for example and therefore they will refuse to make any kind of donations or even provide loans.
  • Kiva User Funds LLC is a separate entity that holds all funds belonging to Kiva users in FDIC-insured, escrow-like bank accounts. These low-yielding FBO accounts were set up to ensure Kiva users’ funds (meant for lending) are protected and fully separated from Kiva’s operational funds.
  • 100% of your loans go to the field Kiva never takes a fee from lenders, which means 100% of the funds you lend on Kiva go toward supporting borrowers’ loans.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Kiva Microfunds is based in California and registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations made to Kiva go to support Kiva Microfunds and are used to cover the operating costs of running Kiva.
hindelquarrouti

IfG.CC - Egypt: Fawry launches first nation-wide electronic bill payment and presentmen... - 0 views

www.ifg.cc/...t-and-presentment-network.html

fawry Egypt Fintechs User-friendly

shared by hindelquarrouti on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • Fawry service can immediately be used by Egyptians to receive and pay their bills electronically among an ever growing list of billers and supporting banks. Consumers can already use Fawry for bill presentment and payment for telecommunications services including Etisalat, Mobinil, and Vodanfone.
  • hindelquarrouti on 13 Feb 21
     
    Fawry inaugurated EBPP, electronic bill payment and presentment in order to satisfy its customers needs. Also, it is experiencing a remarkable increase in the number of users and thanks to that it is bringing Egypt steps forward in the field of e-payment.
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