By Mark Dankworth, President International at Ukheshe Technologies Mobile transacting is fast becoming the golden egg of financial services – and nowhere more so than in Africa. According to the Global System for Mobile Communications’ (GSMA) 2021 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money, the number of registered mobile money accounts grew by 12.7% globally […]
Category Archives: Fintech
Fintech Africa
FSD Africa, the UK Government’s flagship financial sector programme in Africa, is making an initial investment (£650,000) in a highly innovative digital solution connecting carbon credits from small-scale green projects across the global south to international buyers. The investment will deliver funding through the test phase of the solution being developed by Nick Hughes, who […]
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 […]
This new publication explores the answers to the question: How best to digitalise a financial institution? The case study draws upon management consulting literature to assess digitalisation strategies in a pragmatic way. It assesses three leading African financial organisations against this framework: Al Barid Bank, Morocco; Equity Bank, Kenya; and Consolidated Bank, Ghana. The World […]
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 […]
Leading South African founded and owned Agri-FinTech start-up HelloChoice has announced the finalisation of a major investment from Standard Bank, solidifying its market leading position as the premiere digital fresh produce and agricultural marketplace. HelloChoice is a proudly South African success story, founded in 2018 by Grant Jacobs and Graeme Jarvie, who had a vision to […]
Africa’s leading banks including EcoBank, Nedbank, Attijariwafa Bank, United Bank of Africa, Co-operative Bank of Kenya and Banco Mais are tapping into IBM technologies to help advance financial inclusion across the continent IBM today announced that major financial institutions across Africa have selected hybrid cloud and AI capabilities from IBM to unlock digital innovation and continue […]
If you are like any normal South Africa, you approach intersections labelled high crime or high smash and grab zone with an overabundance of caution and the same applies to any intersection where there are a lot of people loitering around your vehicle. The last thing you want is to become a victim of a crime of opportunity, Close […]
SOL unveils virtual card and new brand as it redefines the customer experience SOLmate, an online payment platform that offers clients a digital wallet facility, has unveiled an exciting new product offering together with an extensive rebrand and renewed corporate vision. Following a name change to SOLmate, the fintech has launched a new, innovative virtual card […]
From Financial Access – to Financial Health By Sakhile Mabena, CEO, OFIN, a fintech startup specialising in Behavioural Data Analytics, Financial Process Automation, Behaviour-based Financing and SME Behaviour Nudges There is currently a revolution in the space of financial inclusion, with around 70% of people worldwide now having access to financial services, up from just […]
We are all familiar with the saying in business that “cash is king” and, if that’s the case, then cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. For small or mid-size businesses, cash flow is a critical component of success. Profits are meaningless without it. The harsh reality is that SMEs who don’t exercise good cash flow […]
Even with a high banked population and a multitude of electronic payment options available, the average South African still use cash for daily purchases and payments with an estimated 78-80% of transactions being in cash. Anton van der Merwe, the recently-appointed COO of Ukheshe Technologies, a fintech enablement partner that works with financial institutions to […]
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 […]
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 […]
South Africa is in the middle of one of the most tyring times in the country’s history. Unemployment was on the rise which will only worsen in the aftermath of the current situation. In addition, tensions are boiling over turning into violent acts and destruction which are currently disrupting society. This includes bank ATM’s and […]
A survey by Statista found that around 32 percent of people in Nigeria use cryptocurrencies and this is the highest proportion of a population in the world. In terms of trade volume, the country stands in 3rd position after the United States of American and Russia with a transaction value of more than 400 million […]
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 […]
Fintech
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 […]
Fintech
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 […]
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 […]
The bitcoin market has been on a downward trend over the last month. Bitcoin has dropped almost 50% from its all-time high of 46 lakhs in three months. The drop has divided investors into two camps: those who are rushing to sell to avoid losses, and those who are holding their investment with optimism for […]
Business Email Compromise (BEC) and cyber attacks are on the increase worldwide. Conveyancing firms, their clients, and other organisations effecting many large non-recurring type transactions are particularly vulnerable to BEC fraud. Ryan Mer, Managing Director, eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider says gaps in organisations’ payment systems not only pose massive financial and reputational […]