African fintech Archives - Page 2 of 3

African fintech platform M-Kopa has provided digital credits worth more than $ 600 million to underbanked customers

13Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech

African fintech platform M-Kopa has provided digital credits worth more than $ 600 million to underbanked customers

M-KOPA announced the release of its 2021 Impact Report. As a mission-driven company, M-KOPA's tremendous growth is rooted in commitment to both commercial and social goals. The report presents findings on M-KOPA’s smartphone, solar and cash loan customers across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana. While much of the impact has been realised in East Africa, M-KOPA recorded rapid growth following its expansion into West Africa over 2020/21. Key highlights of M-KOPA’s social and environmental impact at the end of 2021 include: $600 million of credit unlocked for customers; 4.5 million lives improved with life-changing products; Over 1 million solar home systems sold, avoiding 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions; Over 1 million individuals accessing high-quality smart...

22Feb

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech

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 services. A report by CB Insights entitled ‘State of Fintech’ revealed that the third quarter of 2021 was the second highest on record for fintech financing, up by 147 percent year-on-year, and 2022 is looking like more of the same. Fintechs will continue to drive financial inclusion, assisting in the creation of an accessible and sustainable digital economy for all, particularly across developing nations. Africa’s large unbanked...

12Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, Startups

Failing To Win

A new book from Burnet Media, Cape Town will inspire and guide the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Failing To Win by Mike Quinn is the authentic story of a uniquely African startup at the forefront of the continent’s fintech revolution. Inspired to become the “M-Pesa of southern Africa” after Kenya’s pioneering mobile money innovation, Zoona secured tens of millions of dollars in international investment and grew to serve two-million customers in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique while processing $2.5-billion in transactions. This is an ideal read for anyone doing business or investing in Africa, and in particular for purpose-driven entrepreneurs and impact or venture capital investors. ABOUT THE BOOK In 2009, Canadian entrepreneur Mike Quinn packed his backpack and moved to Lu...

28Oct

By Udette KirschNo Comments

Fintech, Nigeria News, South Africa News

Cryptocurrency and herding behaviour

By: Udette Kirsch - behavioural economist & strategic marketing specialist Cryptocurrencies refuse to play by the rules. People rely on experts for all sorts of advice, but when it comes to cryptocurrencies, they seek advice from peers and the internet. So, what causes this behaviour, and what are the implications? Hint: it’s rooted in behavioural psychology. Recent studies suggest that crypto-currency investors rely less on expert advice and increasingly follow peer investor communities for guidance. The daily value of South African crypto trading recently exceeded $141 million for the first time, indicating that many South Africans consider the risks of this complex, unregulated market to be acceptable for the returns which it may deliver. Digital advocates have hailed cryptocurr...

11Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech

New case study on digitalisation of financial service providers to serve low-income customers

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 Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI)’s programme for financial inclusion, Scale2Save, launched today ‘A case study on connecting with low-income customers through digitalisation’, part of its State of the Savings and Retail Banking Sector in Africa research series. Digitalisation is revolutionising the way financial service providers conduct their business. In Africa, the spread of mobile phones over...

24Aug

By Sakhile MabenaNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Transforming Financial Inclusion Using Behavioural Science

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 50% a decade ago, according to the World Bank. One of the key drivers behind this phenomenon is the huge increase in mobile phone usage among people of all income levels, allowing institutions to deliver services more easily and cost-effectively to the underbanked. But, does access automatically translate into usage? While it is commonly thought that financial access should lead to financial prosperity, a recent...

10Aug

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Cash is king – but digital payments are coming for the throne

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 grow in the rapidly-expanding digital space, says that for these reasons alone, the opportunities for digital payments are set to boom. Van der Merwe, who has a strong background in traditional financial environments says that his appointment at Ukheshe represents the significant shift in the traditional and fintech spaces: “New technologies are expected to change the local landscape as emerging trends accelerate and traditional...

Top African regions set to become leading startup and investment hubs

26Jul

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Kenya News, South Africa News, Startups

Top African regions set to become leading startup and investment hubs

On the back of Cape Town being recognised as the tech capital of Africa, topping international rankings for foreign direct investment strategy, Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC – investors in early-stage, high-growth technology businesses – says several other African cities are quickly emerging as leading startup and investment hubs to watch. “Startups in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa raised a total of US$625 million last year. Of those, Kenyan startups raised US$191 million, the most of any other African country, according to Disrupt Africa’s African Tech Startup Funding Report for 2020. Distinct startup geographies are emerging in Africa, each with the potential to become its own powerhouse,” he says. In addition, the World Bank predicts that two thirds of the world’s ...

2Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, Startups

Venture Capital trends shaping the African investment landscape

As the second half of 2021 approaches and Covid-19 vaccinations roll out across the globe, albeit at varying rates, Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC, investors in early-stage, high-growth technology businesses, considers the trends making an impact on the African Venture Capital (VC) landscape. Homegrown solutions take on the world At HAVAÍC, our investment thesis is centred around investing in businesses that solve real-world challenges. With the world having adjusted to new ways of shopping, learning, and doing business as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the appetite for solutions that solve real, tangible problems are without a doubt the best opportunities for growth. Solutions that offer people and organisations better ways of living and working with less friction will reign ...

18May

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

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 consumers and businesses alike with a variety of payment methods. The company’s CEO, Andrew Hardie says that Pay@ has deployed operations into Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho over the past few years but will now be adding Zambia, Mozambique and Angola to this list, with additional African countries in the pipeline. “We would like to build on the strength of our business in South Africa and grow out our offerings across the con...