Tag Archives: FinTech

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 […]

Ajua Acquires WayaWaya

Leading Customer Experience Platform for Africa to Integrate Intelligent Messaging and Payments Platform Across its Product Suite  Ajua, the integrated Customer Experience Management solution for businesses in Africa, has acquired WayaWaya, the Kenya-based Artificial Intelligence [AI] and Machine Learning [ML] known for its innovative Janja platform, that enables borderless banking and payments across apps and […]

How to Calculate and Improve Customer Lifetime Value for Your Fintech App

Creating loyal customers that purchase your products and services for life is the dream. Increasing customer lifetime value creates stability for your business and allows you to innovate new products and services that keep finance customers returning to your brand again and again. To end the feast and famine cycle, companies need to increase customer […]

Affordable digital banking to revolutionise price-sensitive East African payments market

In a region still dominated by cash and mobile money options, like M-Pesa, new collaborations between fintechs are looking to capture the price-sensitive market with innovative, open-loop digital payment solutions in East Africa. According to Mark Dankworth, President International, Ukheshe Technologies, the region is poised for a surge in digital banking growth, with the likes of […]

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 […]

Ukheshe Technologies and Infobip collaborate to create SA’s first WhatsApp payment gateway

Leading digital fintech enablement provider, Ukheshe Technologies, together with Infobip, a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected customer experiences across all stages of the customer journey at scale, have developed South Africa’s very first WhatsApp payment gateway for use by Telkom, one of the country’s largest mobile operators. In addition to being South Africa’s first digital […]

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 […]

South African Fintech enabler, Ukheshe Technologies, confirm global expansion

Leading South African digital fintech enablement provider, Ukheshe Technologies has confirmed it is expanding its operations internationally. Having established itself as a formidable payment technology specialist within the B2B sector, the company has set its sights on the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. The move comes on the back of several successful high-profile projects and partnerships […]

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 […]

Fighting Fraud in 2021

Photo Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko (Pexels.com)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact not only on people’s health and wellbeing, but on that of businesses too. This was especially poignant for many companies that had to venture into the online world for the first time. Unsurprisingly, the uncertainty that coincided with the sudden digital migration created the perfect opportunity for […]

Development Trend of African Startups and Fintech

RF._.studio: Pexels

Africa is a land of opportunity long neglected. It is unique and the diversity in cultures may make it difficult for something new to be accepted in society. However, the scenario has changed and African markets have started to gain attention from the past couple of years. Therefore, we can see the rise of African startups as […]

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, […]

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 […]

How Fintech can help secure the world from the economic impact of viral pandemics

The coronavirus pandemic continues to turn the world and our lives upside down, with the outbreak forcing governments to put into place measures that reduce the risk of contamination, and focus on pre-emptive processes.  The strain on the economy is palpable, and is an impending catastrophe that could exceed the crash of 2008, and the Great […]

How fintechs are making Africa a leading global Innovation Hub

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In a continent where over 60% of the adult population is unbanked and the financial sector is considerably underdeveloped, fintech has been a welcomed revolution that is seen to be boosting Africa’s financial infrastructure. With a growing population, an increasing rate of mobile and internet penetration, combined with a substantial need for financial inclusion, Africa […]

Biometric payments – forget sensor size, focus on performance

African Business News

By Jonas Nilsson, Product Manager at Fingerprints Biometric authentication has come a long way in recent years. Launched in the first Android smartphone almost five years ago, fingerprint touch sensors have quickly overtaken PIN as consumers’ preferred authentication method. Now, demand for the same level of security and seamless UX is growing across other payments […]

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 […]

Friday@Noon on Financial Services in Africa: 2018

by Johan Burger The NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies publishes a weekly newsletter on issues relevant to Africa. This paper is based on issues addressed in the newsletter. The financial services industry in Africa has seen a lot of development throughout the past few years, as was the case in 2018. Mobile telephony has driven […]

The Opportunity Cost of Doing Business for SMEs in Africa

Doing Business in Africa. Image by Andrey Popov

Fintechs are Easing Access to Credit for Small and Medium Enterprises. The African economy has gathered momentum over the years, with an estimated increase of 3.8% of the real output growth in 2017. As the largest economies gradually strengthen, the 2018/2019 performance should reach 4.1% according to the African Development Bank. This economic growth and […]

Consolidation of the fintech ecosystem in Africa, Good or Bad?

‘Mobile money’ used to be a catch-all phrase, describing everything from consumer wallets to building agent networks, lending, and international remittances. However, African fintech has gradually matured into an industry with specialist roles, and more players in the market every year. This shift has seen more companies take on niche roles. This makes strong partnerships […]