Spring 21 Capstone 640pm

South African fintech startup Jumo closed a $55 million round from a diverse group of investors, the company confirmed.

Nigeria, in particular, has become Africa’s unofficial capital for fintech development, surpassing Kenya in 2019 for drawing the most fintech specific and overall VC on the continent

Jumo joins a growing list of African digital-finance startups raising big money from outside investors and expanding abroad.

This FinTech startup founded by two Kenyan women is positioned to reach 3 million smallholder farmers in Kenya in the next 5 years.

FD uses mobile technology, predictive modelling, AI and a customer first approach to democratize access to loans to all farmers; ensuring farmers can apply for a loan from any type of phone and receive a decision on their loan application in seconds. FD has achieved this by building multiple channels of access and a fully automated lending process.

Previously, FD received $50,000 USD of early-stage seed funding from EWB Canada to develop their platform and prove to financial service providers that smallholder farmers are profitable clients.

​​Stellenbosch University (SU) is the first university in South Africa to make use of the SnapScan in-app payment solutions for payments on its campuses, so that students no longer have to carry cash with them for certain payments.

SnapScap is a mobile application that enables cashless payments. Initially two of SnapScan's in-app payment mechanisms will be available for students to do bill payments for their student fees, as well as for pre-paid internet and printer credits. These payments previously had to be made (in cash or with card) at the University's cashiers in the central administration building

Apart from SnapScan in-app payments, students also have an online option on the SU's website where they have the options of pre-paids (for internet, meals, washing, printing credits and rides) and bill payments (for student fees).

The app has since evolved and, today, SnapScan allows users to make quick and easy payments using their smartphones, thus eliminating the need to carry cash or cards.

In its infancy, SnapScan flourished in coffee shops and at weekend markets. The founding team had extensive experience in banking and mobile money, and they knew that payments for these merchants could be vastly improved

SnapScan launched in South Africa in May 2014, although the app had been operational since June 2013. The app was launched in partnership with Standard Bank, and the bank ultimately acquired the developer of SnapScan, FirePay, at the end of 2016.

“What they lack, specifically in Africa, is merchant and business acceptance. As a result, they are reliant on banks to issue card tokens to their wallets and to roll out a merchant acceptance network.” SnapScan, on the other hand, is a potential solution for businesses where card terminals are not cost efficient or appropriate.

Key Features Fast and easy signup Simple integration Customers need not re-enter card details Customers scan on a desktop or click to pay on a mobile device Responsive and mobile friendly Payment happens onsite with a trusted mobile payment provider! Why choose SnapScan?SnapScan is the preferred way for South Africans to pay with their phones.You may know the app from your favorite weekend market or local coffee shop, but SnapScan also provides payment solutions for larger merchants. From payments and invoicing for Pathcare laboratories to online checkout for big brands like Superbalist, Spree and Wellness Warehouse, we have expanded rapidly, and our flat rate of 3% (incl. VAT) per transaction is highly competitive.How do I start using SnapScan?To get started with SnapScan, you need a merchant account. No mountains of paperwork! Just mail help@snapscan.co.za and we set you up in no time. The sign-up process takes 10 minutes maximum, then we send you all the information you need.Once a customer has paid, their order is automatically completed and the website updates. As a merchant, your order list displays confirmation of the SnapScan payment, and you can begin the delivery process.

SnapScan allows South African customers to check out quicker and more securely with a scan or tap via card details stored on their phone. Customers spend less time in checkout, and more time shopping!

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

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.

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.

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."

Smartel Money LTD is an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the modern ICT platforms as well as using the mobile and non-mobile platforms as well as using the freely downloaded applications. Smartel money is an internet based e-commerce payment system, which intends to be a payment processor for online vendors as well as click and brick businesses, auction sites, grocers and other commercial users, for which it charges a fee.Smartel Money provides the above via the My Wallet (TM) service which comprises a numerous tailored solutions both for businesses, organisations and end customers. For more information visit our website in the link given below.

Big DataIn addition to traditional financial data collection, new data sources such as mobile banking and the Internet of Things (IoT) provide an additional layer of data gathering. Combined with Artificial Intelligence, Big Data analytics utilize large amounts of old and new data to discover hidden patterns for better risk management and fraud detection. New insights from big data improve the understanding of customer behaviors and help banks to create better and more customized products and services.

AI helps banks to analyze their Big Data to improve existing solutions and make better decisions. A more recent AI trend is to use its cognitive abilities to go through a large amount of unstructured text and data to generate more insights and to learn natural language. A more intelligent AI chatbot or virtual assistant can take over repetitive “low-value” operations, such as performing small amount transactions, explaining financial products and providing basic financial advice to customers.

Fawry's network processed 600.1 million transactions last year with a total value of 34.2 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.1 billion), EFG Hermes said in its statement.

This is not the first cross border transfer initiative by SimbaPay. The London-based company supports more cost-effective and efficient transfer of funds across Africa and Asia (11 countries – 9 African, 2 Asian). These are Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, Madagascar, Niger, India and now China.

SimbaPay developed a third-party payment aggregator that enables funds delivery between Kenyan merchants and their largest source of imports, China. Through SimbaPay’s international money transfer service, merchants and individuals in Kenya would be able to send money to China’s WeChat Pay users from Family Bank’s PesaPap mobile banking application. This can be achieved through M-Pesa and a USSD service

AI-powered ChatbotsBanks and most of the businesses in the consumer industry have to deal with so many customer inquiries. It requires them to set up dedicated staff members or a complete call center to keep answering the questions that may not directly benefit their business. The artificial intelligence relieves the financial institutions in this hassle with modern-technology equipped chatbots. These virtual assistants are smart in understanding the user queries and providing them with the most viable answer.

Fawry’s fortune is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused more people to place a high demand for its e-payment offerings. Being the leading fintech company in Egypt, Fawry’s revenue for the first half of 2020 increased by 47% to EGP 549.26M, from EGP 373.33 generated in 2019.Fawry has joined the rank of African companies that have become unicorns. Jumia was the first to attain unicorn status after listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Interswitch also became a unicorn after Visa acquired minority stakes last year. All three have attained global recognition, credibility, and reputation. The unicorn status creates a good public perception for investors and potential customers.

Fawry’s fortune is partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused more people to place a high demand for its e-payment offerings. Being the leading fintech company in Egypt, Fawry’s revenue for the first half of 2020 increased by 47% to EGP 549.26M, from EGP 373.33 generated in 2019.

Ashraf Sabry and Mohamed Okasha founded Fawry in 2008. It has an online payment gateway for business owners to transact with customers via cash, credit cards, and e-wallets. In 2019, Fawry listed about 36% (254.6M) of its ordinary shares on the Egyptian Stock Exchange. It initially sold at EGP 6.46 per share, and then it tripled to EGP 18.78 at a market cap of EGP 13.3B in July 2020. After going public, other investors took an interest that led to a significant increase by over 300% in its stock price since its debut at the Egyptian Stock Exchange.

New technologies, like machine learning/artificial intelligence, predictive behavioral analytics, and data-driven marketing, will take the guesswork and habit out of financial decisions. "Learning" apps will not only learn the habits of users, often hidden to themselves, but will engage users in learning games to make their automatic, unconscious spending and saving decisions better. Fintech is also a keen adaptor of automated customer service technology, utilizing chatbots to and AI interfaces to assist customers with basic task and also keep down staffing costs. Fintech is also being leveraged to fight fraud by leveraging information about payment history to flag transactions that are outside the norm.

A Kenyan-owned digital money transfer firm, SimbaPay, is taking not only the local but also the international money remittance sector by storm.The London-based firm, started with the aim of helping out Kenyans living in the diaspora pay bills through M-Pesa, has over the years grown into a full-fledged money transfer firm joining the likes of Western Union and MoneyGram in the market.Unlike conventional players, SimbaPay strives to make money transfer painless to both the sender and recipient.The tech firm allows citizens residing in the European Union to send money home instantly through its application.People with a bank account, debit or credit card use mobile phones or tablets to access the app and transfer money to recipients’ mobile money wallets such as M-Pesa or MTN mobile money or bank account.

“We are able to roll out new countries on our platform at a low cost which then allows us to pass on these savings to customers. We can do this due to our technology that allows transactions to be processed at breakneck speed with zero human interaction,” said SimbaPay chief executive officer Nyasinga Onyancha.The firm’s compliance and onboarding of customers is handled within the app, making it significantly easier for customers to sign up and start sending money to loved ones within minutes.

“We are able to roll out new countries on our platform at a low cost which then allows us to pass on these savings to customers. We can do this due to our technology that allows transactions to be processed at breakneck speed with zero human interaction,” said SimbaPay chief executive officer Nyasinga Onyancha.

Fawry is a pioneering Electronic Payment Network, offering financial services to consumers and businesses through more than 65 thousand locations and a variety of channels. It offers a convenient and reliable way to pay bills and other services in multiple channels (online, using ATMs , mobile wallets and retail points) The company's network of retailers includes small groceries, pharmacies and stationaries, and post-offices, all equipped with point-of-sale machines – the same ones used for credit card payments

STARTUP WATCH- Fawry is officially Egypt’s first unicorn: EGX-listed e-payments firm Fawry became the first Egyptian tech company to hit a market cap of USD 1 bn on Monday after its share price reached intraday highs of EGP 22.69, former managing director Mohamed Okasha announced in a LinkedIn post. Fawry’s share price has increased by more than 300% since it debuted on the EGX last year, a rise that has accelerated in recent months as the use of its payment services skyrocketed during the lockdown.

“With Masterpass, we’re enabling consumers to make secure and simple everyday payments wherever they are and from any connected device, without needing to physically carry their bank cards with them,” says Mark Elliott, Division President, Mastercard, South Africa. “Thanks to our collaboration with SnapScan, we are pleased to offer consumers even more places to pay using Masterpass, which is now the most widely accepted digital wallet in South Africa.”Since its launch in 2013, SnapScan has grown its acceptance exponentially, especially among small businesses that traditionally did not have access to traditional Point of Sale devices and relied on cash payments. It makes accepting digital card payments cheap and easy, with merchants simply needing to display a QR code at the till, online or on a bill.“Given SnapScan’s extensive acceptance footprint, the ability to offer merchants a single QR code, which will accept payment from multiple mobile wallet solutions such as Masterpass, is the driving force behind creating interoperability,” says Lincoln Mali, head of group card and payments at Standard Bank. “We believe that interoperability between digital payments platforms is one of the keys to driving digital payments usage and acceptance in South Africa.”

Each Masterpass transaction is classified as an Authenticated Mobile Transaction by South African banks, ensuring that consumers enjoy the highest protection from fraudsters.

Family Bank Limited, a leading bank in Kenya, has partnered with London-based financial technology firm SimbaPay to launch an instant money transfer service from Kenya to China through WeChat – a service that will help boost Kenya-China trade. Over seven million customers and businesses in Kenya will now access SimbaPay’s international money transfer service to send money to China’s WeChat Pay from Family Bank’s PesaPap mobile banking application and USSD service. Non-customers too will enjoy the service via a dedicated PayBill number 261059 on MPESA.

In addition to the China (WeChat) service, SimbaPay also supports money transfer to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Niger and India. 

China is Kenya’s biggest trading partner. In 2017 alone, businesses in Kenya imported well over USD 4 billion worth of goods from China. The current existing solutions for sending money to China take multiple days to reach the recipient’s bank account, with some requiring the supplier to physically visit an agent to collect their money. This new service easily overcomes these barriers.