Fintech, blockchain and startups in Africa and other emerging markets, 2016-2019.
Analysts and fund managers around the world make good money predicting the future. They use numerous different strategies and models, some quantitative, some qualitative, some based on comparison, others not. The list goes on. Today I’m focusing on understanding the…
Data costs in some parts of Africa are cheaper than you could imagine. In East Africa, particularly, where I lived for five years, the drop in internet pricing has created opportunities for multiple businesses and millions of people. Nairobi is…
There’s lots of innovation in the lending space in Africa. I’ve been in the lending space for 3 years now, but in the mobile space for over 8. I can say that the pace of innovation from startups is the…
Bank of America is launching Erica, a digital assistant to help manage your bank account. The app promises to help you manage your bills, transfer money, and access important information about your account. Branch, a fintech company, raised over $100M…
I’ve worked in consumer lending since I graduated college. Form the dusty streets of Dar es Salaam to the mountains of Cape Town, I’ve witnessed most of the spectrum in consumer lending. When I started in microfinance, it was a…
If the number of credit providers in a country was a reliable heuristic for identifying a credit bubble, you would say that yes, Kenya is in a credit bubble. However, that is unfair since while it might be a reliable…
What makes a good collection method? The collections game has largely stayed the same, with methods based on direct debits or some form of peer or authority pressure remaining the most popular. Payroll lending and some digital lenders use direct…
Blockchain is all the rage. People all around the world participated in a wild run-up of the price of the blockchain currencies/assets last year, and are now suffering significant losses in the sell-off. But this was a small piece of…
I’ve been in the mobile money space now for nine years. It’s been a highly entertaining ride, and I’ve learned loads about different models in the space. From managing a mobile wallet for a large telecom in Tanzania to rolling…
An article came out today on Buzzfeed about the Aadhar ID system in India. I’ve been following Aadhar’s development for some time, and am happy to see some skepticism come out around it. There’s no doubt the system, which aims…
One of our staff writes a quarterly round up of the mobile money scene. I thought I’d share it with you this quarter. Always interesting times in this sector… Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) An evident push for industry…
Here’s a brief interview on mobile finance in East Africa by Greta Bull, from Mastercard. It’s a good synopsis of Tanzania, the market that I’ve spent most of my time in, and the characteristics there that led to interoperability. Interoperability…