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mehdibella

Cape Town goes cashless as mobile payment apps take off - BBC News - 0 views

  • Fast paymentsViews like these account for the arrival of a number of different mobile payments options. SnapScan has garnered the most attention, but the sector also includes the likes of FlickPay, Zapper and GustPay.
    • nourserghini
       
      This is useful because it states that other fast payment companies in the region's sector are FlickPay, Zapper and Gustpay, which makes them potential competitors for Snapscan.
  • SnapScan merchants receive a static QR [quick response] code - or SnapCode - identifier to display next to their tills.
  • "SnapScan does not charge shoppers any fees. Merchants pay a small transaction fee that is comparable or cheaper than using normal credit card facilities."
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • "SnapScan instead tries to give access to electronic payments to a large group of merchants who do not qualify for formal card payment facilities, or where card machines do not make sense," he says.
    • mehdibella
       
      I find that SnapScan is very useful as it provides its customers with an easy navigation platform, security, and a 10 min max sign-up process, in addition to many key features. Furthermore, This mobile payment app serves not only small startups and vendors but also larger merchants.
  • "We've seen a lot of interest from churches in the last few weeks, for instance, as the app allows for immediate, relatively large donations, while also eliminating the hassle of managing and administrating cash collections," he says.
  • "At its core, SnapScan is about giving everyone access to fast, convenient and safe electronic purchases," says co-founder Kobus Ehlers. "We designed the product to suit a wide variety of shops, from the largest retailer to a small street vendor selling fruit next to the side of the road."
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      SnapScan is offering fast, convenient, and safe electronic purchases.
  • Instead, she's one of a growing number of people in South Africa's Mother City who are leaving their wallets at home in favour of digital money apps."I use SnapScan," she says. "I love it. If I find someone using SnapScan I will buy something even if I wasn't intending to. "I find myself telling small coffee shops and vendors at markets that they should get it. I love not needing cash on me. I love not handing over my credit card."
    • ayoubb
       
      Snapscan
hindelquarrouti

The Rise of the Robo-advisor: How Fintech Is Disrupting Retirement - Knowledge@Wharton - 2 views

  • Robos came on the scene about a decade ago, and two early startups were Wealthfront and Betterment. Today, there are dozens of robos in the market, Fisch said. There are pure robo services, as well as those that offer the option of talking to a human advisor, with or without an extra fee. Since they’re automated, robos can more easily avoid conflicts of interest that could beset a human advisor, who might push investments that pay the highest commissions.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Having Robo-advisors in EasyEquities would prevent the risk of having conflicts with "human" advisors. Digital assistance is the key.
  • Robo fees can range from zero — if the investor has less than $10,000 to invest — to as high as 0.89% of assets under $1 million in some cases, said Brett Hammond, research leader of Capital Group. But 0.25% to 0.30% of assets is more typical, he added. (The fee is on top of the cost of the investment itself.) As for performance, it’s a mixed bag with some robos doing better than others, Hammond said. The big question is how they will do in the long run, especially during a big market crash, since they don’t have an extended track record yet. “We don’t know in a complete cycle what these [robos] are going to deliver,” he said. “The real issue is, does it improve outcomes?”
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because, on the one hand, it introduces us to the fees that can be charged by Robo-advisors. On the other, performance is hard to measure for robo-advisors since nobody knows how the will behave in the long run and in severe circumstances i.e. a market crash.
  • Artificial intelligence is changing the world of retirement planning. By using improved datasets and algorithms to efficiently deliver solutions tailored to people’s needs, AI can help them save, invest and retire better. One of the hottest trends to emerge in this area in recent years is the use of robo-advisors. These are software programs that use the data supplied by clients to create and automatically manage their investment portfolios
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      The use of Robo Advisors alongside artificial intelligence could be used by different fintech companies and in different fields like for investments, portfolio management or retirement planning.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • One of the hottest trends to emerge in this area in recent years is the use of robo-advisors.
  •  
    It is a very interesting strategy that of benefiting from the use of AI and its advances that include improved datasets and algorithms that efficiently deliver solutions that are appropriate to users need. One of the trend that was raised by this strategy is that of robo-advisors.
mehdi-ezzaoui

Reddit war: EasyEquities clients barred from buying Nokia - 0 views

  • EasyEquities clients won’t be able to buy Nokia shares, while the fight between retail investors and Wall Street hots up.Millions of small investors have been buying GameStop shares to squeeze large hedge funds, who bet big money that the US retailer’s share price would fall.
    • aminej
       
      This is bad for Nokia since many for people from Africa won't be able to invest anymore in Nokia stocks, In-fact their stock decreased by 7% since taking decisions.
  • EasyEquities clients were informed that they won’t be able to buy Nokia shares for now.
  •  
    Easy equities banned from buying fractional Nokia stocks
samiatazi

Fintech strategy sets off revolution in banking sector - MeilleureBanque.com - 0 views

  • Fintech, at the heart of the banking sector revolutionObviously, Fintechs and traditional banks adopt very different strategies. Indeed, while traditional institutions have a long-term vision (analysis of the financial market, risk amortization), neobanks prefer immediate action.Thus, we can consider that there are two categories of Fintech on the market. On the one hand, regulated companies that ensure compliance with regulatory constraints, and on the other, those that adopt a completely different strategy based on customer satisfaction.The first category positions itself as a direct competitor of banking establishments, while the second opts for cooperation and encourages the buyout or majority stake.Fintechs base their strategy on customer dissatisfaction, especially with their bank . These new shoots seek to improve every aspect of the banking relationship, as a priority, by neglecting issues related to organization, compliance and profitability.However, professionals remain skeptical. Do these FinTechs really hope to succeed in a few months, where several players have been striving for years? By this we mean the fact of wanting to change the regulations of the sector or even the constitution of a team of experts within a short time.So far, experts in the banking industry doubt a real revolution in banking regulation.Traditional banks remain priority players in the marketDespite the emergence of remote banking and the new measure on banking mobility , traditional banks remain the majority players in the market. Indeed, new brands are still struggling to reach the same level as a "real" bank.In addition, for the time being, income from investment funds and venture capitalists has not been of much use to the banking sector. Remember, however, that it is thanks to them that certain brands such as Uber, Amazon or Tesla have succeeded.Today, players in e-commerce are using capital increases to compensate for losses, a technique that has not yet been adopted in the banking sector. As a starting point, SoftBank has already started by building up a $ 100 billion fund for banking technology.
    • samiatazi
       
      Yves Smith reports: Fintech and conventional banks are taking very various tactics. Traditional banks remain market leading players. The long-term view of traditional institutions and neo-banks favor urgent intervention. The SoftBank has already begun to develop a $100 trillion bank technology fund, and that FinTechs seek to enhance every part of banking by neglecting organization, security and profitability problems. He said that conventional banks fail to achieve the same level as a "real" bank, and risk capitalists were not very useful.
nourserghini

Pay with Masterpass at SnapScan Merchants Nationwide - 0 views

  • Consumers can download the MasterPass app from their app store, register, and load their credit, debit or cheque cards from any bank into the digital wallet. To pay, Masterpass users simply need to scan a QR code, or SnapCode, displayed at point of sale or online at a wide range of SnapScan merchants including coffee shops, professionals like doctors and market vendors. They then enter the payment amount into their Masterpass app and confirm the transaction with their ATM pin code or a one-time pin code sent to their mobile phones.
    • nourserghini
       
      This is interesting because it states that the use of Snapscan, specifically, expands to even coffee shops, doctors and market vendors which gives an idea of how popular the app has become in South Africa.
kenzabenessalah

Fintech Tips: A five-step guide to robo advisors - AltFi - 0 views

  • Simplicity is a key feature of this type of investing. All investors need to do is create a username and password and typically answer between 10 to 15 basic financial questions to open an account. The service then plugs your answers into an algorithm that determines the portfolio and asset allocation that is appropriate for your age, risk tolerance and how long you wish to invest. Rob advisors typically follow passive investments such as tracker funds and exchange traded funds (ETF) based on modern portfolio theory research.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Robo advisors help with creating a portfolio for each customer with their financial and personal data. This is a must-have service to lower privacy risks and to have secure data on what the customers wants to invest in. EasyEquities would be more secure if it incorporated this startegy.
nouhaila_zaki

AgroCenta: Digital food distribution platform creating shared value for businesses and ... - 0 views

  • The agricultural value chain is huge. We cannot do it all so we have fostered very strategic partnerships with institutions aligned with our values and mission. We are always seeking more of such partnerships and invite you to reach out if interested in working with us.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This article is important because it enumerates AgroCenta's different investors and partners. This is important because it allows us to understand the financing scheme that AgroCenta is having. In addition, it enables us to have an idea about the large scope of the agricultural value chain and which institutions contribute to mitigating the risks and challenges AgroCenta might face as a result of this large supply chain.
aminej

Is the Easy Equities platform best? - Moneyweb - 0 views

  • Easy Equities is an easy to use platform where you can buy equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs), as well as other baskets and bundles. If the term ‘safe’ in your question means that it’s a legitimate and licensed platform, and the person running Easy Equities is not going take your money and buy themselves a Ferrari and post it on Instagram, then yes, Easy Equities is ‘safe
    • aminej
       
      The term safe here depends mainly on what the customers chose to trade in. If they want to make a lot of money they would probably go for a risky stock which will bring them more profit and vice versa
nourserghini

Nedbank diversifies mobile pay tech to lure merchants | PaymentsSource - 0 views

  • South Africa“South Africa was an early adopter of QR code-based payments,” said Gabriel Swanepoel, vice president of business integration at Mastercard Southern Africa. “The first QR code app was introduced by SnapScan, a subsidiary of Standard Bank, in 2013.”QR codes are a prevalent method of payment in South Africa.
    • nourserghini
       
      The article explains that Snapscan was the first introduction of the popular QR code-based payment in South Africa in 2013.
kenzabenessalah

The Great FinTech Robo Advisor Race - 0 views

  • By now, the robo advisors are familiar to almost all fintech watchers.  These are the startups which have garnered media attention and customers given digital native investment accounts.  Their services include automated portfolio planning, automatic asset allocation, online risk assessments, account re balancing and other digital tools. Fees are competitive and range between 15 to 35 basis points of AUM.  Well known players include Betterment, Wealthfront, Motif and Folio, among others.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      The reason why I think Robo advisors would be a great additional strategy to EasyEquities is because they are familiar with the procedures of startups. They would help enhance the quality, secure, and efficiency of the company.
nouhaila_zaki

AgroCenta: Digital food distribution platform creating shared value for businesses and ... - 0 views

  • This is our financial inclusion platform targeted at smallholder farmers. We make it super easy for institutions to on-lend and disburse funds to a large network of smallholder farmers. We don't just give you access to farmers, we give you access to trustworthy low risk farmers.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt reflects the financial inclusion concern of AgroCenta. The LendIt platform allows farmers to access to digital payments, micro-lending and crop insurance more easily thanks to it.
  • Farmer Registrations Know where your farmers reside, how much money they've been making in the past, their family sizes, their literacy levels and more. Inventory Management Easily track how many tons of commodities you have available across multiple locations. Quickly know where to concentrate more effort. Logistics & Tracking Which route is the most efficient to use for commodity pickups? How long will it take for customers to receive commodities they ordered?
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt reflects what the Cropchain platform introduced by AgroCenta does for its customers, namely enforcing traceability, transparency and accountability in the agricultural supply chain.
mehdi-ezzaoui

EasyEquities owner enjoying a purple patch - 1 views

  • EasyEquities owner Purple Group intends to speed up its entry into new markets and the rollout of new products following its first annual profit since 2012.The financial services company is pursuing its mission of "democratising all things investment" with an almost evangelical zeal, and years of slog have finally paid off with earnings of R17m for the year ended August...
    • aminej
       
      After years without any profit, EasyEquities have managed in 2012 to make 17m of profit which is huge and good for them since they will be able to invest more in that platform and make it even better for their customers.
  • EasyEquities owner Purple has finally turned a profit, which is key to the group’s ambitious growth plans
  •  
    EasyEquities owner Purple Group intends to speed up its entry into new markets and the rollout of new products following its first annual profit since 2012.
nouhaila_zaki

Developing a P2P lending platform: stages, strategies and platform configurations | Eme... - 1 views

  • Our process model contributes an in-depth view of how P2P lending platforms should be established and nurtured to complement the existing studies in this rapidly growing research area. In addition, our study also hints at the strategies that can facilitate the various stages. Our model can potentially serve as the foundation for formulating guidelines for the managers of P2P lending platforms, so that they are able to optimize the development of their platforms and extend the benefits of P2P lending to a broader base of customers.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      P2P lending would help EasyEquities expand their platform and optimize the development of their platforms for constant success.
  • Online Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending platforms are becoming increasingly popular globally in recent years. Our knowledge of how to develop and manage the digital platforms that make P2P lending possible, however, is limited. Through an in-depth examination of the strategies deployed and actions taken across the various stages of development of Tuodao, one of the most successful online P2P lending platforms in China, the purpose of this study is to develop a process model of P2P Lending Platform Development to address this knowledge gap.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This article is important because it investigates how to develop and manage digital platforms that make P2P platform successful through the consideration of Tuodao, one of the most successful online P2P lending platforms in China.
aminej

What is the relationship between SatrixNOW and EasyEquities? : Satrix Now - 0 views

  • The EasyEquities platform is powered by First World Trader ("FWT"), meaning it runs on FWT's core infrastructure, but it is a simplified offering in terms of the user interface and the investment offering is designed to keep costs to a minimum and the process intuitive and easy.
    • aminej
       
      It is so smart from EasyEquities owners how they have managed to keep cost very low in order to be able to make profit. For me I believe it is the most important aspect to think about when you want to open your business.
kenza_abdelhaq

Fintech Trends: Crowdfunding | finleap - 1 views

  • The most obvious benefit of crowdfunding for entrepreneurs is the funding. With so many startups on the market, it is hard to gather the money needed to bring ideas to life. Through crowdfunding, ventures that do not have a company builder like FinLeap behind them, can gain support at the very beginning. Crowdfunding provides a way for innovate ideas to be presented attractively, so it can be launched. Moreover, a crowdfunding platform can help successful entrepreneurs to validate their product which can then help with gathering the Series A funding. It makes validation faster and more scalable. Additionally, a crowdfunding platform allows entrepreneurs to get insights from their future customers and experts in the startup field while building awareness for the idea. [3]
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Crowdfunding would help EasyEquities come up with new innovative ideas for entrepreneurs and future customers. With this strategy, the company will always be classified high in the "Trend" sectors of the FinTech industry.
  • One thing to remember, however, is that the entrepreneur does not choose his investors which leads to unclear boundaries in the process. In addition, depending on the platform, entrepreneurs have to pay out between 8% and 12% of their raise which has to be budgeted in. [5] Moreover, crowdfunding platforms usually require through reporting and disclosure procedures that are strictly followed, making every step of the entrepreneur difficult. Due diligence is also absent as investors can contribute very small amounts, so are not particularly concerned with it. [6]Finally, the low percentage of success in crowdfunding is the main disadvantage
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      Though crowdfunding appears to be a great opportunity, this excerpt introduces us also to the drawbacks of this fintech strategy in order for us to make an informed decision when formulating a strategy. Problems of failure, due diligence, disclosure of confidential information to investors and the need for entrepreneurs to pay a certain percentage of their raise, and the need to carefully budget the amount needed since it cannot be changed later, are really discouraging many fintech companies from considering crowdfunding as an option.
  • the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet”. Thus, crowdfunding has become the champion of small businesses, allowing them to have a chance to succeed by showing their innovate business models to the world
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      Crowdfunding is a great alternative to have access to financing even though the success rates of these campaigns may be low, but the prompt describing the project should be promising and innovative.
aminej

EasyEquities puts startup crowdfunding offering 'on hold until further notice' - Ventur... - 0 views

  • First announced last year in December, EasyEquities crowdfunding campaign entailed an indirect investment into a Mauritian entity which would then subsequently invest in the 10 startups from Startupbootcamp Cape Town‘s first cohort. The investment round was initially slated for launch on 15 January, however this was postponed earlier this month to 1 February so that the platform could update the shareholder prospectus — which lays out the terms of the investment.
    • aminej
       
      I believe that investing should be without any intermediary on EasyEquities because otherwise it would lose that aspect where they help people to know more about finance and trading
nouhaila_zaki

Startuplist Africa | Startuplist Africa - 0 views

  • AgroCenta focuses primarily on small holder farmers and farmer based organizations, connects them to a larger market online to trade equitably, a percentage of the sales of farmers farm produce is re-invested into purchase of agric inputs such as fertilizers, seedlings, pesticides, weedicides and hiring of tractor services. AgroCenta eliminates the common practice where middlemen/brokers act as exploitative buyers, purchase produce for less than a third of its actual value from smallholder farmers and re-sell in urban markets for huge profits.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because on the one hand, it introduces the niche market that AgroCenta products and services are targetting; but also the common practices that AgroCenta intended to eliminate (i.e. exploitative behaviors by middlemen and brokers).
aminej

EasyEquities Community gives back to Cotlands during COVID-19 through #DonateForGood - ... - 0 views

  • Cotlands is proud to be partnering with EasyEquities for a cause related marketing initiative with their investor community through #DonateForGood.  EasyEquities and the EasyCommunity want to play their part by supporting Cotlands beneficiaries that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. EasyEquities have created a feature on their platform inviting investors to donate to our organisation. You can make a donation on the share purchase page on the EasyEquities platform. All you need to do is to make sure you have enough funds in your available cash. This donation feature is available in the EasyEquities ZAR and TFSA accounts. 
    • aminej
       
      Love the fact that even if it is a trading platform where the main goal is to make money; they even managed to help people during the COVID outbreak by donating food. It shows that the company do no only think about making money but also about the external environment and stakeholders
mohammed_ab

0% Interest Small Business Loans | Kiva - 1 views

  • Kiva expands access to and lowers the cost of capital for small business owners by providing 0% interest, crowdfunded loans, raised from its network of 1.6 million supportive lenders around the world. Many of these lenders become borrowers' new customers, brand advocates, and biggest fans.
  • WE NYC has partnered with Kiva, a platform specializing in crowdfunded loans, to help more women entrepreneurs achieve crowdfunding success. Participating in WE Fund Crowd means WE NYC will be your first lender, pledging 10%, or up to $1,000, of your crowdfunding goal. Friends, family, and new supporters who see your campaign will know that WE NYC believes in your business and your dreams.
  •  
    Kiva has a very interesting platform that aims to help small businesses that have no interest.
  •  
    This partnership between the city of New York and Kiva should be an example for all major cities.
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