Tag Archives: financial technology

Nigerian Fintech, Brass, Secures $1.7mn Financing Round “to bet on African SMEs”

“Africa’s new bank for startups and SMEs” to expand to South Africa & Kenya following funding Brass, a Nigerian digital bank delivering easy access to affordable premium banking services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), has today secured $1.7mn in funding to address the heavily underserved banking needs of local entrepreneurs, traders and fast-growing businesses. […]

Peach Payments expands into Mauritius, serves as key event sponsor at Africa FinTech Festival

Peach Payments is pleased to announce that it has set up an office in Mauritius recently in pursuit of its pan-African expansion strategy. As a FinTech start-up that was set up in South Africa in 2012 and expanded into Kenya in 2018, the company is set to make a significant contribution to the pan-African FinTech landscape […]

PLATFORM BANKING AND OPEN BANKING: why it’s the next big thing for banks and their customers

Incumbent banks are starting to look to “platform banking” to stay relevant and loved by customers. But what is platform banking in the first place? And why is it a good thing for society? Anthony de Gray Birch, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Direct Transact, South Africa’s biggest banking enabler of the past […]

Avoiding Instant Electronic Funds Transfer payments Risks

In 2020, e-commerce in South Africa spiked by 66%, driven by COVID-19-induced lockdowns and a drop in brick-and-mortar retail sales[i]. This increase was accompanied by an upsurge in the use of instant Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments. Towards the end of last year however, the SA Reserve Bank, Payment Association of South Africa (PASA), and […]

Future proofing banking through the power of data, APIs and automation

The global pandemic has ushered in a new paradigm for the Retail Banking sector, one which demands quicker transformation to a customer-centric service that is digitised, personal and convenient. A recent Financial Industries panel discussion held by Kearney, a global consultancy, shed light on how the power of data, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and automation […]

M-KOPA Expands to Nigeria, Appoints Babajide Duroshola as New Country General Manager

Connected Asset Financing Platform Commercially Launching After 20,000 Device Pilot 12th July 2021. Lagos, Nigeria. M-KOPA, the leading connected asset financing platform, today announces it has officially expanded to Nigeria. To lead the Nigeria team, M-KOPA has named Babajide Duroshola as the new General Manager. A part of the tech company’s broader expansion strategy, the […]

Bushra Mahdi appointed as the Brand Ambassador for Tetra Pay International in the GCC and MENA region

Bushra Mahdi is appointed as the brand ambassador for Tetra Pay International INC for the countries in the GCC and the MENA alliance of nations. Leading Instagram influencer, Bushra has over 299 thousand followers on her Instagram page making her a youth icon. She is also the founder of Red Films, owing to her passion […]

89% of GCC consumers will opt for digital banking services over visiting a physical branch post Covid-19

77% of respondents in the GCC access digital banking services at least once a week 44% are willing to switch to a different bank due to poor customer relations 31% perceive their bank’s current offering of access to online banking services as weak Consumer appetite for digital banking services continues to grow in the countries […]

Telephonic payment solution helps companies deal with Covid-19 challenges

VerPay enables verbal commerce as businesses adapt to serve their customers in contactless ways  As South Africa enters its third wave and lockdown restrictions tighten, certain businesses – such as those in hospitality – once again find themselves having to temporarily close their doors, while seeking alternative avenues to generate income, such as take-aways. “The […]

Securing the financial institutions’ physical and digital assets with biometrics

Gone are the days when the financial institutions’ (FI) only assets considered to be the gold, cash and other valuables in its vaults. With data widely acknowledged as the new gold, ensuring that only legitimate people get access into the FI’s premises and digital databases is more important than ever By: Nicolas Garcia, VP MEA, […]

Fintech, Ofin, tackles behavioural changes needed to address financial inclusion

It is a common belief that financial access should lead to financial prosperity. According to the World Bank, financial inclusion is defined as all people and businesses having access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs. Sakhile Mabena, CEO, Ofin, a venture-backed fintech startup specialising in Behavioural Data Analytics, Financial Process […]

South Africa’s Leading Payment Aggregator and Secure Payment Solutions Provider Expands into Africa

With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement set to generate combined consumer and business spending of $6.7 trillion by 2030[i],  the continent requires payment platforms to cater for this growth. To this end, Pay@ – a leading South African payment aggregator and provider of secure payment solutions – will be expanding into several African countries and providing […]

Mobile Money Accounts Grow to 1.2 Billion in 2020

GSMA has published last week its annual ‘State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money’. It reveals a dramatic acceleration in mobile transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown restrictions limited access to cash and financial institutions. The report found that the number of registered accounts grew by 13 per cent globally in 2020 to […]

The Rise Fund to invest $200 million in Airtel Africa’s mobile money business, at $2.65 billion valuation

Airtel Africa to explore potential listing of mobile money business within four years. Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, announced on 18th March the signing of an agreement under which The Rise Fund, the global impact investing platform of leading alternative investment […]

Efficient Payment Solutions Essential for SME Survival

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have long been hailed as the lifeblood of the economy. Now, in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, they are critical for its recovery. Not only do they contribute 35-50% of national GDP globally, they also drive over two-thirds of new job creation[i]. Ultimately, the more SMEs succeed, the better our […]

The lessons of 2020 are driving trends in business leadership and Fintech for 2021, says Innovate1Pay Chairman Mahmood Ahmadu

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Chairman of Nigerian Fintech firm Innovate1Pay, Mahmood Ahmadu has shared his vision for 2021, as businesses reopen in the new normal. Drawing on the pragmatic leadership required in a highly disruptive 2020, and the positive impact of Fintech during the crisis, Mr Ahmadu believes that the building on these lessons will be […]

Five Tech Megatrends that can Transform African economies in 2021 and beyond

Photo Credit: Scott Webb (Pexels.com)

The world has been experiencing massive digital disruption with the relentless rollout and adoption of disruptive and innovative technologies. Embracing digital disruption is daunting, since it is extremely unsettling with the rapid change brought about within societies and the severe impact on unskilled labor. Even if the African continent will not be spared by digital […]

Why is the fintech industry flourishing in Africa in 2020?

South Africa is moving very fast in the direction of the FinTech industry. The country is very determined not to be behind the whole show. They are also relaxing the regulations in order to help the flourishing of the FinTech industry. How South African FinTech development is transforming the foreign exchange landscape In South Africa, […]