Search Results for: digital loan

The biggest fintech trends changing the face of payments in emerging markets

Mark Dankworth, President Business Development Africa at Ukheshe, shares his thoughts on how mobile money, cross-border payments and ‘buy now, pay later’ are transforming the financial sector, particularly in emerging markets, for the better. Last year saw an unprecedented rate of change in the financial sector, with huge growth in the use of digital financial […]

Financial Inclusion across Africa starts here

Africa’s first digital in-store lay-by app is aiming to create financial inclusion throughout the continent – starting in South Africa. Local fintech startup LayUp is taking the lay-by process into the 21st century – for merchants and consumers – with a mobile app and rollout of a terminal app via payment & merchant solutions provider […]

Salaam Somali Bank to distribute $4million to Somalia’s best and brightest young entrepreneurs

Salaam Somali Bank has announced that $4 million has been earmarked for Somali entrepreneurs between 2022 and 2024 to ‘kick-start’ economic growth in the Somalia economy at this year’s Mogadishu Tech Summit The Salaam Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF) aims to cultivate young Somali business people and support existing Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the […]

Autochek Officially Launches in Kenya

African automotive company aims to increase its footprint across East Africa Nairobi, Kenya – Autochek, the automotive technology company that aims to facilitate auto finance across Africa, has officially widened its operations to Kenya as part of its pan-African expansion. To lead its Kenya operations, Autochek has appointed Bilhah Muriithi as the Country Manager. Having […]

Africa is leading the way in mobile money, and it will change banking as we know it

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 […]

The Future Is African: Ten startups prove their place on the world stage

It was all systems go at the inaugural Demo Day for the Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP), powered by leading tech accelerator, Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech. For the top ten startups selected from a pool of over 2,200 applications, it represented the culmination of three months of hard work, great effort, and the promise of a bigger future. […]

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 […]

Cropnuts artificial intelligence driven platform makes soil testing affordable and accessible for farmers in Africa

Reduces cost of soil testing by more than 75% Backed by leading impact investors DOB Equity and AHL Venture Partners Crop Nutrition Laboratory Services Ltd (Cropnuts), Africa’s leading independent laboratory for agricultural and environmental testing, has launched AgViza, a disruptive AI based soil testing and digital crop advisory service for smallholder farmers. The livelihoods of […]

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 […]

Women Can Add $14.57 Billion to E-Commerce in Africa: IFC Research

Africa’s e-commerce market could grow by more than $14.5 billion between 2025-2030 according to an IFC report published today. The report finds this can be achieved by increasing the number of women selling on online platforms and by providing them with better training and financial support to help them match sales made by men. The […]

African countries commit to double agricultural productivity as development banks, institutions pledge US$17 billion to increase food security

A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners has pledged over US$17 billion in financing on Friday during a high-level forum, in a bold bid to address rising hunger on the African continent and to improve food security. These funds were pledged on the final day of a two-day high-level dialogue – Feeding Africa: […]

Demand surges for 4IR tech as 4,600 register for Africa’s largest AI trade event

AI Expo Africa — the continent’s largest annual gathering of buyers and suppliers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) smart technologies — is set to have its biggest edition this year as 4 600 delegates and several international and local sponsors have already registered to attend the trade show […]

How cost cutting can help SMEs grow

Reducing the cost of supplies, inventory or business operations is common practice amongst many small business owners. Not preserving enough cash could land a business in deep waters and in need of a lifeline. For business owners, curbing your expenditure is a practical way to improve your cash flow without incurring risk to your business. […]

Airtel Africa’s Mobile Money Business Gains $100m Investment from Mastercard

Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, today announces the signing of an agreement under which Mastercard, a leading innovator and global technology company in the payments industry, will invest $100m in Airtel Mobile Commerce BV (“AMC BV”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Airtel […]

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 […]

Why ecommerce matters for small businesses in SA

Trevor Gosling, Co-founder and CEO of Lulalend

There has been a permanent change in the way that people shop and, in turn, the way that businesses need to operate. In the absence of brick-and-mortar stores being open during the lockdown, as well as a general fear of crowded malls when things were able to re-open, South Africa’s ecommerce sector exploded. According to […]

SMMEs primed for growth as economy slowly takes steps to recover

While South Africa’s economy took a series of blows over the last year, business owners remain confident that things will slowly start to stabilise in 2021. This was reaffirmed with South Africa’s SACCI business confidence index rising to 93.4 in November of 2020 from 92 in October, above pre-pandemic levels. According to Trevor Gosling, Co-founder […]

Will a future Biden Presidency be better than Trump for Africa?

As America is voting for its next President, all African countries are contemplating their future engagement with either incumbent President Donald Trump or an incoming new President Joseph (Joe) Biden. Indeed, whoever gets in the White House this coming November 4th will re-define America’s relationship with Africa. Contrary to his immediate predecessors, over the last […]

Top Tips to Grow Your Restaurant Revenues in 2020

The global restaurant business might lose about $600 billion in consumer spending in 2020, representing a 25%-30% loss of sales compared to 2019, according to figures released by Technomic. While the coronavirus pandemic can be blamed for this to a large extent, there are some things that you need to do to start your road […]

N’Gunu Tiny on How blockchain funding will disrupt the games industry in Africa

N'Gunu Tiny - games industry in Africa

N’Gunu Tiny, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Emerald Group is an expert in Fintech, blockchain and innovative tech. Here’s his take on the impact blockchain could have on the gaming industry in Africa and around the world. The global gaming industry is one of the few that has managed to thrive in 2020. Lockdown […]

Financial Scams – How to avoid becoming a victim

Herman Lombard

South Africa has significantly more financial crime than most other countries. With a rate of 77% compared to a global average of 49%, SA is something of a hotbed for fraud and scams. As consumers and insurance-seekers we need to understand the risks of economic crime and how to avoid becoming a victim, the risks of […]

Trends and Events in Africa 2018

Map of the REC Pillars of the African Economic Community. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

by Johan Burger 2018 has been an interesting year for Africa, with various events and trends becoming visible. 2016 saw the effects of the slowdown of China’s economic growth due to its rebalancing of its economy and the end of the commodity price super cycle. 2017 brought some relief. In Africa, 2018 demonstrated a number […]