Our Reporter. The word ‘SafeBoda’ is now a household name for the majority of Ugandans who especially use Boda Bodas – motorcycles for movement in Kampala Metropolitan region. For many Ugandans, riding on a boda boda used to be an unsafe experience because the riders were reckless, didn’t have customer care and you couldn’t bargain […]
Our Reporter. In 2021, Flutterwave received worldwide recognition for becoming an African FinTech Unicorn. By definition, a unicorn company is a startup with a valuation of over USD 1 billion. Founded in 2016 in Nigeria, Flutterwave has since grown into a global Fintech company that provides an interoperable payment infrastructure for global merchants and payment […]
Our Reporter. Many Ugandan traders in the informal sector have been shut out of digital and financial inclusion drives because of their lack of required knowledge, devices and paperwork to register their businesses. In the end, boda boda riders, charcoal traders, tomato sellers, salon operators, etc., remain stuck in the cash economy with all its […]
Our Reporter. Renowned marketing and business expert, Steven Jeffes once said that “innovation is the unrelenting drive to break the status quo and develop a new where few have dared to go.” Indeed, all innovators always dare to either do new things or improve what is already existing. Many succeed, many fail while many others […]
Our Reporter. If you are a frequent user of public transport in Africa, then you know the hustle and bustle involved in getting tickets and traveling. Things like long queues, manual processes and the no refund policy implemented by a majority of the players are common experiences encountered by travelers. It is these and more […]
HiPipo, organisers of the 40Days40FinTechs initiative have welcomed the new Software Development Kits (SDKs) by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), saying this will go a long way in providing interoperable solutions. The SDKs, developed by GSMA’s Inclusive Tech Lab, are toolkits that software developers use to build applications using prebuilt components instead of […]
Our Reporter. When Ephrance Eunice Namugenyi’s father started a paver and block-making business, he contacted his daughter to use her Information Technology skills to market his products. The two sat down and agreed to do something much bigger; create a digital marketplace for building materials. “I also work at Kyambogo University where I meet students […]
Our Reporter. Marie Mintalucci has spent a number of years supporting female-led groups across Sub-Saharan Africa to create self-sustaining ventures. However, during this time, she has mainly made two observations. One, women often borrow huge sums of money for unprofitable purposes like sending children to school or putting a new roof on the house. However, […]
Our Reporter. Launched in 2013, EzeeMoney is a technology company dealing in both financial and non-financial services that target people at the bottom of the pyramid. On the financial side, EzeeMoney runs an agent-based model where they give out point-of-sale terminals to agents to facilitate bill payments, bill collections and other mobile financial services. […]
Our Reporter. In Africa, the sources of business capital are usually personal funds, family, friends and loans. The first three are usually the ideal sources while the fourth is the most realistic. As such access to affordable and readily available credit is key to the success and sustainability of businesses. Big and well-established businesses easily […]
Our Reporter. One of the biggest challenges faced by Ugandan migrant workers working in the Diaspora is money remittance. The cost of sending money is very high, ranging between five and ten dollars for transferring little amounts. On top of this, many have been defrauded of their hard-earned money – sometimes by their own relatives […]
Our Reporter. Many Ugandans are full of business ideas but their biggest bottleneck is the lack of capital and inability to access credit. For a financial institution to give your business a loan, they will ask for a trading license, national ID, bank statement, tax report among others. They therefore get stuck in the informal […]
Our Reporter. Almost everyone has ever received a phone call or text with the person on the other side saying that s/he has an emergency and urgently needs financial assistance. Such communication takes a lot of guts, and somewhat courage on the side of the requester because reaching out for help is never a guarantee […]
Our Reporter. Anyone doing business in Uganda will tell you that paying rent is one of their biggest nightmares. Whether you have made profits or not; whether you have spent the month sick or away attending to a patient, or whether you were in a Covid-19 lockdown; the landlord will always want their rent paid […]
Our Reporter. Many young corporates harbor dreams that would satisfy their heart’s desires. They would like to have nice cars, trendy phones, beautiful TV sets, durable furniture, name it! But their meager salaries are only enough for the daily essential needs. So, they keep dreaming! However, PayLater Uganda has come to make these dreams a […]