The inception of FinTechs promoting financial inclusion in Africa can be traced back to Kenya in 2007. Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile network operator affiliated with Vodafone, observed customers using prepaid airtime as a form of currency. This observation led to the...
financial inclusion
Recent Articles
Game of Phones: Device financing for a digital-forward Africa
When the iPhone 5s was launched in 2013, online sales were live only in a few countries – UK, Australia, Hong Kong, USA. Long lines formed at Apple stores across the world. The length of these lines was considered an indicator of the phone’s popularity. A few years...
Tsaheylu and four myths about bonding in the financial world
Tsaheylu, in the language of the Na’vi, means bond. (Sounds unfamiliar? It is the language spoken in the 2009 sci-fi film, Avatar!) With Tsaheylu, Na’vis - the people of the Pandora biosphere - can use their cute tails to connect with the life around them. They...
123Pay: the future of digital payments and financial inclusion in India
The Reserve Bank of India’s recent announcement on the launch of UPI 123Pay reminded me of a conversation I had in New Delhi a few years ago. I was traveling home by auto-rickshaw. And I stopped briefly to pick up groceries. Once my order was packed, I paid via...