After a long week of solutions’ ideation and development, the 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon teams have today pitched their final minimum viable products – MVPs to the Hackathon Jury. The over 30 teams were each given up to 10 minutes to demonstrate how their developed solutions work. The young and nascent innovators used this […]
For the past one week, the over 100 Innovators taking part in the 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon have been focusing their energies and resources on developing time and lifesaving financial inclusion solutions. With just one day to the end of this year’s Women in FinTech Hackathon, the participants are putting their best feet forward […]
Driven by passion and an unsatisfied appetite for success, the over 100 Innovators participating in the 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon have their priorities well set out. It is this desire to succeed that is keeping most of the participants awake throughout the night; some turning the Hackathon venue into their temporary home, taking short […]
Participants in the 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon have continued to show significant progress and commitment to using Financial Technology to transform their communities. Day 4 kicked off with a detailed session on Open Source Software and Mojaloop Security, presented by Paul Baker, the Principle Product Manager of INFITX and member of the Mojaloop Community. […]
Teams from Uganda and Kenya, each comprising enthusiastic individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, are currently in Kampala, diligently working to refine their pitched ideas into Financial Technology solutions. As these teams gathered on Day three, a palpable sense of anticipation filled the air with the participants waiting to listen to words of wisdom […]
Day Two of the 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon was a huge success highlighted by participants presenting their refined Problem Statements and Business Cases. The day started with a deep dive into both the Mobile Money ecosystem and the Mojaloop Open Source Software presented by HiPipo CEO Innocent Kawooya and Paul Baker, the Principle Product […]
The 2023 Women in FinTech Hackathon has kicked off in Kampala with a formidable group of thirty (30) teams, hailing from Uganda and Kenya. This esteemed selection of participants was carefully curated from a competitive pool of over 100 innovative submissions received over the past two months. From 10th to 17th August, the 30 teams […]
A formidable group of thirty (30) teams, hailing from Uganda and Kenya, has been shortlisted for this year’s Women in FinTech Hackathon. This esteemed selection was carefully curated from a competitive pool of over 100 innovative submissions received over the past two months. The distinguished shortlist of teams will now gather in the vibrant city […]
Kampala, Uganda. In 2014, HiPipo unveiled the Digital Impact Awards Africa (DIAA), a prestigious platform dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the epitome of African innovation in digital technology, financial inclusion, and cybersecurity advancement. From its inception, the Digital Impact Awards Africa (DIAA) was met with immense enthusiasm, with the majority of the market recognizing it […]
The 2023 FinTech Landscape Exhibition was successfully held on Thursday 6th July, attracting over 300 participants including Government policymakers, Tech Giants, Financial services providers and more than 40 participating FinTechs. The FinTech Landscape Exhibition was the climax event of this year’s 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative which featured 43 companies from Uganda and Kenya between […]
We are thrilled to announce that, for the second year running, HiPipo has been honoured with the prestigious accolade of ‘Best Financial Inclusion Organization 2023 – East Africa’ at the seventh annual FinTech Awards, organised by Wealth & Finance International. Wealth & Finance International, renowned for celebrating outstanding achievements within the finance and investment industry, […]
On average, corporate organizations spend at least Shs 80,000 annually on every employer to buy paper cards, popularly known as business cards. Sadly, when these people go out to network and give out paper cards, most of these cards end up in one’s pockets or laundry baskets the following day. It’s against this background that […]
Not long ago, the only way through which someone could transfer money from one bank account to another was through a cheque or an electronic funds transfer (EFT). These two processes are not only slow, they are also tedious, error-prone and require multiple layers of verification. But through technology and innovation, financial services providers have […]
Steve Wanderi, a dedicated taxi driver from Kenya, recently adopted Little Cab, a digital ride-hailing service, in his quest to enhance the quality of his services. This decision has brought about remarkable transformations in his professional life. Wanderi notes that the biggest challenge for any cab driver is the lack of consistent clientele – but […]
With an impressive 23-year legacy, Craft Silicon stands as one of the most enduring and influential FinTech companies, boasting a clientele spanning over 30 nations across Africa and Asia. Their broad spectrum of services has demonstrated profound versatility, encompassing domains from microfinance to commercial banking, Islamic banking, digital banking platforms, anti-money laundering solutions, micro-lending, and […]
Brenda Sekabembe cannot forget the day when a staff member at her company – Bake for Me, ran off with the company phone along with all the money on its mobile money account. The staffer was never found. The phone was not found. The money was never recovered. But it was amid this adversity that […]
The year 2023 is a special one for Uganda’s largest indigenous bank. Centenary Bank is celebrating 40 years of transforming the country’s banking sector. Because of their rural development agenda, Centenary Bank transformed Uganda’s banking from an elitist perspective to targeting the ordinary person. And when the world experienced the digital revolution over the past […]
Sometime in 2022, Rosemary Nankabirwa got the shock of her life when her underage daughter was impregnated by another juvenile. Despite the disappointment, Nankabirwa, a teacher by profession, chose to support her daughter through this trying experience. She started by enrolling the expectant mother at a nearby health centre for antenatal care, and it is […]
Since MTN Uganda launched mobile money some 14 years ago, the money transfer and financial technology landscape in Uganda was forever revolutionized. The convenience, timeliness, and robustness that come with mobile money have seen millions of Uganda’s unbanked population use this service at least once every year. Imagine the idea of sending money from […]
When Doreen Nanfuka started an events management, company called Fuuka Star a few years ago, her most immediate challenge was about the cost of ticketing. This is on top of the hustle of printing tickets and incorporating security features to avoid fraudsters. Then she soon learned about Ticteq, an online events solution that among other […]
Deborah Mulungi had gone shopping in a local supermarket when she met a fine lady wearing a T-shirt with the inscription – Izere Education. Curious, Mulungi stopped this lady and asked her what Izere Education stood for. “She told me about many things but I had never heard about Early Childhood Development. She told me […]
Sarah Nassaka Kagimu is a Pastor and small-scale businesswoman in Nansana. Nassaka loves convenience. So, when a group of young innovators came preaching about a platform where market vendors could save money and receive loans using phones, Nassaka was the first one to register. “My aim was to access loans. I liked the fact that […]
It is no secret that the Ugandan business environment is saturated by counterfeit and substandard products in all sectors. In agriculture, for instance, grassroots farmers are perennially challenged by identifying authentic agricultural inputs such as seeds, pesticides, and equipment. Take the example of Ssenabulya Patrick, a farmer, and trader, who notes that besides volatile weather, […]
With years of experience in the boda boda business, Francis Edyel says that refuelling is one of the most painful things to a rider. On a given bad day, he would usually struggle to juggle between paying the bike owner, leaving some money at home for his family, and refuelling his motorcycle to start the […]
It is no secret that more than half of Africa’s adult population lacks a bank account or even a mobile money profile. This means a huge block of the African population is totally excluded, with no financial identity at all. As a result, Africa is predominantly a cash economy where transactions are peer-to-peer. This has […]
Alvin Sam Otto is the coordinator Oyam District Farmers Association. Charged with over 200 farmer groups with a membership of thousands of farmers spread across 64 parishes, Otto’s biggest challenge is about keeping tabs on the needs of every farmer. Some want extension services; some want farm inputs while others want market opportunities. Otto would […]
One of the rarest commodities in the world of digital business is called trust. Everyone is afraid of another either because of past experiences with fraud or stories regarding the same. When it comes to the car business, the odds of getting exactly what you ordered online are very minimal, especially in Africa. It is […]
The life of a migrant is very complicated. Most migrants rely on the mercy of others for survival. When it comes to financial services, migrants are some of the most underserved communities because of their lack of documentation. With this in mind, a Ugandan financial services company called Cytrone Limited came up with a digital […]
Almost every day, there is a concert, show, or festival happening somewhere in Uganda. The majority of the partygoers mention access to tickets as a major pain point for attending these shows. For others, it is fraud involved in ticket printing. Many at a time you go to an event only to be told that […]
If you have ever taken a boda boda ride, then you certainly know the inconvenience that comes with finding change in case you have a denomination higher than the agreed fare. Even Boda Boda riders and cab drivers agree that it is one of their worst nightmares, especially if riding at night. “We often take […]
Lining up in a bank to pay school fees is one disturbance no parent wants to endure because they are already stressed by the hustle of raising money. Therefore, many parents are happy with the emerging innovations that facilitate the payment of school dues using digital platforms. One such parent is Kenneth Nabaasa, a businessman […]
Right in the middle of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, Justine Namubiru was minding her business in Kawanda when some gentleman approached her and her colleagues and asked them if they were willing to join Buganda Kingdom’s Buladde Financial Services. “We were told that Buladde would help us in saving and acquiring loans to develop our […]
In 2020, members of SAO Zirobwe Sacco in Luweero district were introduced to something ‘alien’. They were told that there was an electronic platform for them to deposit, save, withdraw or get a loan digitally. They just needed to download an Application on their phone or dial a given USSD number and start transacting. “Sincerely […]
Imagine being a student with a personal assistant who can do research for you, prepare notes and even remind you of your to-do coursework. Well, it has been made digitally possible. Some innovative young Ugandans have come up with the Academic Personal Assistant (AIDA) platform which helps students to get all the required information from […]
Gloria Okwakunda is a very happy and contented woman. She is happy because of her reliable companion. “My companion is PayLater. Ever since I joined this amazing service, my life has been smooth,” she says with a smile. PayLater is an online hire purchase platform where people acquire products or travel and pay in equal […]
Kampala, Uganda: Different reports indicate that Africa’s population is evenly distributed on sex and gender lines. Country Meters puts it at 50 percent for both women and men respectively while a 2021 World Bank report for Sub-Saharan Africa puts it at 50.2 percent in favor of Women and 49.8 percent for Men. That said, there […]
Public transport operators in Uganda struggle to balance books because of the disorganization in this sector. There is no clear monitoring of either taxi conductors, bus, or train wardens. In the end, the business owners are affected by accountability issues which leads to losses in terms of ticketing collections. Even on the side of passengers, […]
In Uganda, the word survival makes a lot of meaning because many people live on a hand-to-mouth income cycle. So, every working day matters. If you don’t work, you don’t eat! The same applies to utilities. It is very common to find households paying daily electricity bills or weekly pay-tv subscriptions. So, the cost of […]
For any businessman, anyone who can provide them with quick and cheap credit will definitely be their friend. So, when Edward Mubangizi was introduced to Social Lend Africa, he saw it as a good opportunity to improve his supermarket business in Kisaasi. “My friend told me that their financial services are friendly. I checked them […]
In March 2020, Uganda was placed under a total lockdown following the outbreak of the deadly Covid-19. Only essential workers such as security personnel, market vendors, and construction workers were allowed to continue working. One such essential worker was Sarah Naluwagga Lubambula, a vendor at Kalerwe Market in Kampala. But Naluwagga says despite this allowance, […]
Antenatal care is one service pregnant women struggle to seek. Many expectant mothers actually wait to first get a pregnancy complication to go for antenatal monitoring. They just hate the inconvenience of visiting the hospital every now and then. But what if this service was digitized? When Divinah Twinomujuni was pregnant last year, she went […]
With the world swiftly shifting into cashless economies, one of the areas of concern is digital trading and investment. Many people are still sceptical of digital phenomena such as cryptocurrencies and even Mobile Money. Other people are out there with lots of money and ready to invest it digitally but lack the know-how. With these […]
Vincent Kizito is living with his grandmother in Kabanyi village of Luwero district. The only property they own is a huge piece of land that is lying idle because they lack the resource to develop it. But about a year ago, Kizito heard his friends talking about AgriShare APP, an online platform that can help […]
The global migration from paper-work to digital systems over the past two decades has received both support and resistance almost in equal measure. The critics have fronted the jobs worry of replacing humans with machines in the employment world while the proponents cite efficiency, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. All said and done, digital migration has made […]
We cannot overemphasize the power of digital media. Whether your interest is in sports, fashion, politics, or business, there is something for you in the digital marketplace. So, when Mayimuna Nalumu started her business in beddings, she utilized digital marketing to supplement her physical shop in Kinawataka. And when things got tough following the Covid-19 […]
In many parts of rural Uganda, accessing a bank is almost impossible. Even when you chance on one, the red tape involved in accessing credit is unbelievable, especially in agricultural financing. So, farmers usually rely on SACCOs and money lenders to survive. Most of these however come with high interest rates and they never supplement […]
When the world was invaded by Covid-19 in 2020, global economies were brought to their knees. At a personal level, many individuals were left in survival mode, barely managing to feed their families. Education was not saved too. Learners were forced to study remotely in bits and when schools were re-opened parents were required to […]
Building and construction is a tricky business, mostly because contracts in this sector are usually post-paid. This means that one has to primarily foot the bill for construction materials and wages. At the end of the day, many construction companies incur high-interest loans that conversely affect their profits. James Andrew Mukuye was going through this […]
Market access is one of the biggest challenges for businesses in Uganda, especially in the informal sector. Many highly depend on word-of-mouth references because they lack resources for proper marketing. Some fail to breakeven and close shop while others stagnate at a small-scale level. It is estimated that Uganda has more than 2.5 million formal […]
Most developing countries such as Uganda face a problem of lack of, limited and expensive energy resources. And when it comes to domestic usage of electricity, for instance, there is a lot of waste. It is very common to find a home with lights-on during the day or all appliances connected even when there is […]