In Ghana, it’s popularly known as susu. In Cameroon, tontines or chilembe. And in South Africa, stokfel. Today, you’d most likely call it plain-old microfinance, the nearest term we have for it. Age-old indigenous credit schemes have run perfectly well without much outside intervention for generations. Although, in our excitement to implement new technologies and … Continue reading Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
Tag: Africa
Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
The Cobra’s Heart
“I lived in Africa for several years. I first went there in 1957. Then, over the next forty years, I returned whenever the opportunity arose. I travelled extensively, avoiding official routes, palaces, important personages, and high-level politics. Instead, I opted to hitch rides on passing trucks, wander with nomads through the desert, be the guest … Continue reading The Cobra’s Heart
Caught on camera [phone]
They say a picture paints a thousand words, and that may be the case. But if they cost the earth or you don’t have permission to use them, they end up painting nothing much at all. When my mobile ‘career’ kicked off in 2003 with multiple research trips to South Africa and Mozambique, I took … Continue reading Caught on camera [phone]
When in Rome. Or Africa.
Whenever I find myself in front of a group of students, or young people aspiring to work in development, I’m usually asked to share one piece of advice with them. I usually go with this: Get out there while you can and understand the context of the people you aspire to help. As you get … Continue reading When in Rome. Or Africa.
Joining the UK Africa Delegation
This week represents something of a first for us as we head to Africa as part of a UK business delegation lead by David Cameron, the British Prime Minister. Also in attendance is Lord Green, the Minister for Trade and Investment, and Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, along with a number of … Continue reading Joining the UK Africa Delegation
Mountain meets mobile
In the twenty-first in our series of FrontlineSMS guest posts, Laura Hartstone – one of the organisers behind the “3 Peaks 3 Weeks” Challenge – updates us on their recent use of FrontlineSMS to provide daily climbing SMS updates to supporters around the world “Keeping in touch with family and friends while in Africa can … Continue reading Mountain meets mobile
The two faces of African literature
The positive. The negative. The upbeat. The downbeat. The optimistic. The pessimistic. The African view. The Western view. The good. The bad. The “half full”. The “half empty”. The two faces of African literature?
NASA on Mars vs. Development in Africa?
Better late than never, I’m about to start reading “Dead Aid“, Dambisa Moyo’s much touted book. I’ve already read a few blog posts and reviews – some about her, some about her book – and the Guardian’s “An evening with Dambisa Moyo” seemed worth a look. In an otherwise downbeat review, one statement stood out … Continue reading NASA on Mars vs. Development in Africa?
Mountain-top texting for charity
In the seventeenth in our series of FrontlineSMS guest posts, Laura Hartstone – one of the organisers behind the “3 Peaks 3 Weeks” Challenge – talks about their plans to use FrontlineSMS to provide daily climbing updates to supporters around the world via SMS The 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge is an annual all-female climbing … Continue reading Mountain-top texting for charity
Footsteps
I’m something of a walker. During my time at Stanford University my battered old trainers got me to and from most places, as they did in San Francisco and as they continue to do today in London, Cambridge and anywhere else life takes me. Walking – accompanied by my trusty iPod – is the only … Continue reading Footsteps
Mobiles, innovation, Africa
“Innovation around the mobile phone is particularly interesting in Africa, often because it is born out of necessity”. Over the past week, the BBC have been covering the arrival of the Seacom fibre optic cable off the coast of East Africa, focusing on Kenya initially and today moving on to Rwanda. Their excellent coverage – … Continue reading Mobiles, innovation, Africa
VoxAfrica TV on Africa, ICT and aid
Last week I was contacted by the Production Co-Ordinator at VoxAfrica TV, a Pan African, bilingual, independent TV channel which broadcasts throughout the African continent via satellite. Following Michael Joseph’s recent comments that mobile technology has had a greater impact on Africa’s development than international aid, the producers were keen to explore the state of … Continue reading VoxAfrica TV on Africa, ICT and aid
Taking on the grassroots challenge
Over the past four years FrontlineSMS has taught us a lot, and I write about it frequently (see my recent misconceptions and observations posts). One of the biggest – and most underestimated – challenges is outreach. If you’re building a tool for grassroots NGOs, particularly those working on the margins, promoting social mobile tools to … Continue reading Taking on the grassroots challenge
SMS registration for Maker Faire Africa
Attendees of next month’s Maker Faire Africa will be able to register their attendance by text message, thanks to a clever hack by Henry Barnor and Henry Addo, two Ghanaian developers. In the true spirit of Maker Faire, the two Henry’s have built the system using a phone with a Zain SIM card connected to … Continue reading SMS registration for Maker Faire Africa