The rise in digital financial services like mobile wallets, savings apps, and instant loans are opening access to money for millions of African women, helping to narrow long-standing gender gaps and giving women greater financial control and independence. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | At the crack of dawn on …
Read More »Mobile money robbery foiled, one suspected robber shot dead in Kitintale
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | One person has been shot dead and another arrested in a foiled robbery of mobile money agents in Kitintale. Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango says that the armed thugs raided mobile money agents Ibrahim Ssebanenya and Rashid Kyeyune in Kitintale trading center, stealing …
Read More »MTN Uganda plans mobile money spin-off
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda plans to spin off its mobile money arm, MTN MoMo, into a separate entity, a move that could alter the structure of its business in one of its largest African markets. In a regulatory filing last week, the company said it “intends to …
Read More »Push to digitise how Africans pay and move cash sends fintechs into merger frenzy
Africa’s fintech sector is seeing a surge in deal-making as firms race to dominate the continent’s booming cash transfer and digital payments market, projected to hit US$1.5 trillion by 2030 SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Fierce competition in Africa’s digital and cross-border payment sector is fuelling a wave of …
Read More »How mobile money is rewiring the way Africa transacts, from the informal sector out
A recent report shows Africa alone accounted for 70% of global mobile money transactions, making it the undisputed global leader in mobile-led financial inclusion. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa is shifting from cash handling in business to digital finance—an upgrade in the quest for financial inclusion, with mobile …
Read More »CEO Airtel Africa: East Africa continues to demonstrate exceptional growth potential
East Africa Powers Airtel Africa’s growth with strong performance across voice, data and mobile money Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Airtel Africa has reported a resilient performance in its East African operations for the financial year ending March 31, 2025, underscoring the region’s strategic role in the company’s overall success. …
Read More »UMRA, Wendi by PostBank collaborate to digitize SACCOs to drive financial inclusion to the Last Mile
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA) and PostBank Uganda on 21st October 2024 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to initiate a collaboration aimed at digitizing the operations of tier IV Microfinance Institutions through PostBank’s Wendi mobile wallet, so that the last mile beneficiary can …
Read More »Why mobile payment is booming in Africa
NAIROBI, KENYA | Xinhua | On the bustling streets of Nairobi, the green glow of the M-Pesa (a mobile money platform) logo is inescapable, from high-end hotels to street vendors. In some tourist hotspots, signs declaring “No Cash” highlight a striking shift: over 90 percent of adults in the East …
Read More »Using mobile money to buy and sell across Africa – a fast track to economic integration
COMMENT| Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko | For over sixty decades, from the Mali Empire through to the OAU Summit of May 1963 and incrementally to date, African unity has remained but a collective dream. One that has been sustained more by a recognition of its essence rather than a conviction for its …
Read More »Mobile Money and SACCOs are the key drivers of financial inclusion, says new survey
However, the number of individuals storing cash at home for long-term savings has risen from 27% to 44%, signaling potential distrust in formal financial institutions Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mobile money, Savings, and Credit Cooperatives Organizations (SACCOs) have emerged as the leading drivers of financial inclusion, according to latest …
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