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 […]
Our Reporter. The past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic literally placed everyone in their right place – for both good and bad reasons. On the bad side; businesses closed, people lost jobs, families were broken, education stagnated and the economy crumbled. Like they say, in every challenge, there is always an opportunity. The pandemic, […]
Our Reporter. With the worsening economic situation in the country, on top of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, most Ugandans have resorted to seeking short-term loans from friends and family to make ends meet. But this is an unsustainable scenario because even those friends are struggling too, trying hard to survive with the little […]
Our Reporter. When Uganda was put into a total lockdown in March 2020 due to the outbreak of Covid-19, my stylist’s hair salon came to a grand halt. She was forced to close business six months later because she could not afford to pay the rent arrears demanded by her landlord despite the fact that […]
By Our writer Away from its negative consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic was an eye-opener to individuals and businesses. It brought the role and overall importance of digital financial services (DFS) at the forefront. Further, the pandemic opened opportunities for Financial Technology companies (FinTechs) to come up with innovative solutions that have since transformed the […]
Our Reporter. For those that have attended events in Uganda, you are familiar with the hustle and bustle involved in buying entry tickets. This includes long queues, higher prices than originally advertised and fraudsters selling fake tickets among other issues. But all this will soon be history; if event organizers and revelers can incorporate technology […]
Our Reporter. Majority of Ugandans are just one medical emergency and hospital admission away from financial ruin and untold disaster. This is because accessing quality healthcare is very expensive and a preserve of a few. Even though the government, with support from development partners, has invested massively in healthcare, the cost of medication remains […]
Our Reporter. Have you ever been with an account that has money but are unable to access it? Put differently, has someone ever called you with an emergency that needs money? You may even have the money but are unable to send it to this person because of the absence of a transfer system? A […]
Our Reporter. Regardless of how persuasive loan advertisements are, getting credit in Uganda is one complicated hustle; more so for those in the informal sector – who happen to be the huge majority. When one visits a formal financial institution, the paperwork, waiting time and costs involved to process a loan become a huge turn-off. […]
Our Reporter. The word Kawu must be familiar to whoever attended boarding schools in Uganda. Kawu is that period in a boarding school when a student’s pocket money and grab – read packed eats and drinks – are over and the only thing left to feed on are the meals served by the school kitchen. […]
Our Reporter. No serious storyteller can narrate Uganda’s post-independence story without giving prominence to the famous Luweero triangle. It is that pivotal but that is a story for another day. For decades, farmers in Uganda have earned very little, sometimes nothing from their produce and farmland due to issues such as failure to source the […]
Private Sector Foundation Uganda’s new Chief Programs and Projects Officer, Damali Ssali in April presented about the vast business and investment opportunities that Uganda’s private sector offers through its umbrella arm, PSFU at the PI-18 Mojaloop community meeting organised by Gates Foundation and Mojaloop Foundation. Top of the discussion was PSFU partnering with local and […]
We are proud to say that the second HiPipo 40 Days 40 FinTechs that ran in the months of July and August, 2021 set the bar very high. Even though it started soon after the partial lifting of the 2021 lockdown, it was tremendously successful. #40Days40FinTechs has quickly grown into one of the world’s premier […]
We are proud to announce that HiPipo has been awarded the Best Financial Inclusion Organization in East Africa by FinTech Awards 2022 hosted by Wealth & Finance International. Wealth and Finance identifies organisations that are deserving of recognition for the works they perform, giving the aforementioned organisations a boost to their profiles, and enlarging their […]
Dedicated and hardworking, smart but so funny, exposed, and extremely knowledgeable. Dr., Prof., senior, specialist, expert, exceptional, rare, made of Gold and God. He was a staunch Catholic and had his fair share of travel around the world. I am so certain he died somewhat content about the many he had seen and met, he […]
It is with great pleasure that we announce that Damali Ssali has honoured the invitation we extended to her and agreed to become a Board Member of the HiPipo Foundation. Damali joins Hon. Eng. David Karubanga, Rose Busingye and Innocent Kawooya, with a worthy mention being made of Prof. Maggie Kigozi and Dr. Frederick Wamala […]
HiPipo and the Ideation Corner, with great pleasure, announce the start of the We Will Win initiative, a project that is set to make extraordinary inroads into the development and growth of Uganda’s film industry. The We Will Win initiative is the brainchild of and a collaboration between a number of like-minded influential players in […]
Download Women In FinTech magazine It’s the first of its kind, and it is another innovation by HiPipo. This is the FIRST EVER magazine solely dedicated to Women in FinTech. There have been articles and journal entries here and there, but never something as comprehensive and focused as this. You will find interviews, opinions, testimonials, […]
Here it is, the first of its kind, something guaranteed to generate even more understanding about Financial Inclusion & how we can overcome the bottlenecks to its full achievement. Its another innovation by HiPipo- the first-ever #WomenInFinTech Magazine. Among other purposes, it shines a spotlight on a new generation of women leaders and innovators, all […]
Kuzimba Services: Team Kuzimba, the winners of the 2nd Women-in-FinTech Hackathon, are certainly not resting on their laurels. Ephrance Eunice Namugenyi and Alfred Ochola remain the powerhouse duo to beat, and their participation in the Incubator was a reminder to all that when you are at the top, well, the least you can do is […]
As part of our continuous efforts to not only improve the quality and variety of digital financial services, with a special emphasis on those that cater for the unbanked and underserved, but also to ensure that the delivery of these services offers rewards to the innovators, HiPipo sought to build on the gains made from […]
Follow this link to download the report. Dear friends & colleagues, I am proud to present to you the HiPipo 40 Days 40 FinTechs 2021 Report. Titled ‘Championing digital innovation & interoperable Instant & Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS) in Africa’, it is something we believe is strategically informative and can act as a rich resource […]
Arthur expounded on what he referred to the ‘values desirable as social beings’. He explained these as the values that are common and constant to every human being, regardless of their background or status. These include integrity, respect, loyalty and responsibility. They work as uniting factors for any team and/or organisation. In fact, it is […]
Emmanuel Kintu rounded off his talk on digital camera settings, touching on the aspects of exposure, shutter speed, aperture diameter and ISO (International Standards Organisation). His presentation, as usual, was furnished with a variety of images to illustrate what he was explaining. Arthur talked about four categories of value: personal, spiritual, family and career. He […]
The aspect of the Social Venture Business Model George discussed today was the value proposition. He described how it is 2-way: on one hand there’s the promise by the service provider to the client that what the former puts forth will be of value. And on the client’s side there is the belief that this […]
Kasakya George, who you can now call the ‘Social Venture Business Model Canvas Guy’, further defined the model, this time introducing and defining what a social good is, and how the budding entrepreneurs have to take time to look at their purpose for the business and decide whether it is, well, fit for purpose. A […]
The inaugural HiPipo Women-in-FinTech Incubator is shaping up nicely, and on Friday 7th January, 2022, many of those involved safely gathered together at their old stomping ground, the Hive Colab Hall at Kanjokya House, to learn more about what the coming days are going to be about. Although it was mostly the Team Leaders that […]
Steven shared a presentation on ‘How to Look a Million Bucks’. This included illustrating the differences between brand, identity and a logo, and how careful consideration of all helps one create a brand that is perceived as trustworthy, credible, established, recognisable and consistent. Next was a video that helped introduce to all what good design […]
The fourth week of the Incubator saw us starting direct emphasis on the Level One Project and the Level One Principles. The participants were duly informed that going forward they had to remain mindful of the need to align what was being discussed with the principle in focus, even though the talks will come from […]
PRESS RELEASE HiPipo is proud to announce that its CEO, Innocent Kawooya, has been awarded the TIG Network Afrika CEO of the Year Award, 2021-2022. TIG (True Inspirational Generation) Network Afrika is an organisation and network whose intention it is to elevate the role of the family in Africa. They seek to establish the home […]
Standard Chartered Bank was yesterday announced the 2021 Digital Brand of the year. To win this Award, Standard Chartered Bank beat competition from Stanbic Bank and Centenary Bank that came second and third respectively. As such, Standard Chartered Bank retained the same prize it won in 2020. Digital Impact Awards Africa is a platform that […]
TOPICS AND QUESTIONS KEYNOTE A Ugandan Instant and Inclusive Payment System powered by Mojaloop – the case of a licensed Ugandan aggregator. On 10th Dec 2021, don’t miss this Keynote by Ronald Azairwe, MD, Pegasus Technologies at the 8th Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit! FINANCIAL SYSTEMS FOR THE POOR– An African continent where poor people, […]
Following the conclusion of a comprehensive Digital Impact Awards Africa entry submission and validation process, we are glad to now review the shortlisted nominees. Digital Impact Awards Africa is a platform that promotes Digital Inclusion, Financial Inclusion and Cyber security. Precisely, the Awards seek to recognize, celebrate and appreciate different individuals and organizations that are […]
For Immediate Release. Wheels to the 2021 Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit that will also feature the 8th edition of Digital Impact Awards Africa have been set in motion with the opening of all channels for submissions of entries. The Digital and Financial Inclusion summit will explore the strategic trends and technologies that are […]
Our Reporter. The week-long Women in Fintech Hackathon came to an end last Friday with Kuzimba Services, providers of online construction and engineering solutions being declared winners after shrugging off tough competition for the top prize. Organised by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox, Mojaloop and Level One Project, the hackathon that culminated into […]
Kampala, Wednesday October 13, 2021: Participants at the on-going Women in FinTech Hackathon have been challenged to make good use of the Internet as it has several resources needed for product success. This message was delivered by Damali Ssali, a seasoned Chartered Accountant, Book Author and the Founder of the Ideation Corner on Day 5 […]
Day four of the ongoing Women in FinTech Hackathon was a huge success as participants learnt about Product Management, Prototyping, and the Digital Financial Services Providers (DFSPs) ecosystem. The day’s mentor, Primera Muthoni; an ICT Product Development Expert and a senior mentor with Girls for Girls, Uganda Program urged the participants to pay utmost attention […]
Kampala, Monday October 11, 2021: Day Three of the #WomenInFinTech #LevelOneProject Hackathon has successfully ended with discussions focusing on why young innovators must draw proper business cases and plans if they are to effectively manage their projects. Day three training was led by Catherine Namara; a telecommunications engineer, project management expert, an alumna of the […]
Day Two of the #WomenInFinTech #LevelOneProject Hackathon was successfully concluded with discussions centred on how participants can improve their projects in order to serve their target audiences better. Day two mentor, Doreen Lukandwa, the Beyonic/MFS Africa vice president (global enterprises) and winner of the 2020 Women in FinTech Award urged participants to use latest technologies […]
Kampala, October 05, 2021: The #WomenInFinTech #LevelOneProject Hackathon has started today, Friday 8th October with 17 shortlisted teams and over 70 participants altogether. Speaking during the official opening of the Hackathon, Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo Chief Executive Officer thanked the participants for showing tremendous interest in technology, noting that the Women in the FinTech Hackathon […]
Following a two-weeks long online registration process and continuous evaluation of all entries, we are happy to unveil the 17 teams that will participate in this year’s #WomenInFinTech #LevelOneProject Hackathon and Summit. Altogether, we received over 40 applications majorly from Uganda but also from Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana. The Women in FinTech Hackathon will convene […]
In line with its commitment to spearhead Digital Financial Services adoption and Financial Inclusion advocacy across Africa, HiPipo has today launched the 2021 #WomenInFinTech #LevelOneProject Hackathon and Summit, with the opening of registration to all eligible participants. The Women in FinTech Hackathon will convene developers – 75 per cent of them being women – to […]