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More Cambodians struggling to repay MFI loans
Banking industry insiders expressed concern yesterday over a spike in the amount of delinquent debts reported by microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the Kingdom, which they attributed to farmers struggling to repay their loans after adverse weather conditions affected their crops.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Meet Africa’s off-grid entrepreneurs
In Kangemi, a slum in the fast-growing Kenyan capital Nairobi, Margaret Aoko, expounds the virtues of her new solar power system. 'At night the lights light up my produce so people can see it from afar,' the 49-year-old mother of six says, as she sells tomatoes, leafy greens and secondhand blankets to passers-by on the rutted dirt street.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Getting Silicon Valley Behind Development: First, change its attitudes
Silicon Valley has become the global center for entrepreneurship because it has developed the assets, networks and cultural values necessary to promote risk-taking and innovation. The Valley has an incredibly productive and self-reinforcing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Such a system may well be impossible to fully replicate in other places — especially in less wealthy, emerging market regions. However, entrepreneurial talent and passion can be found everywhere.
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Paytm offers unsecured loans to small businesses, Mobikwik to follow suit
Paytm wants to prise the vice-like grip of banks away from local moneylenders over the loan business. The mobile wallet company, which aspires to become a digital bank, has started offering unsecured loans to merchants such as the neighbourhood grocer or the mobile recharge shop or the auto driver, who use the wallet to accept offline payments.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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Aadhaar goes global, finds takers in Russia and Africa
Aadhaar, India’s biometrics-based identification system, may have its detractors at home, but governments overseas have shown interest in adopting the model or some form of it.
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- Uncategorized
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Tigo Tanzania unveils cross-network money service
Tigo Tanzania announced a move to allow its users to receive money from customers that use other major telecoms networks in the country. In a press conference held in Dar es Salaam, the company launched the new campaign, dubbed NITIGOPESA, which will see customers on all major networks in the country be able to transact mobile financial services with Tigo Pesa customers.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Beyond the Lending Club Scandal – Why Marketplace Lending is Still Needed in Emerging Markets
Renaud Laplanche, the CEO of industry pioneer Lending Club, resigned in May amidst rumours of fraud and malpractice. Since then, critics have been trying to write off marketplace lending as a flawed business model. But it's too early to discount the value of the entire industry – especially as it emerges in markets like India and China to address the critical needs of SMEs.
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- Uncategorized
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Mounting pressure on Zimbabwe telcos as economy stagnates
Zimbabwe's deflated economy is impacting on the country's telecommunications industry and has forced operators to leverage promotions to reduce service tariffs. The local economy is battling severe cash shortages and resulted in a daily limit on withdrawals of approximately US$200.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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