Practical Insights on USSD

Apply Now: $100,000 for African Blockchain Finance Solutions

Apply Now: $100,000 for African Blockchain Finance Solutions

Published on: Jul 25 2022 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
In the Maasai Mara, landowners, wildlife, and tourism depend on one another for survival. The Maasai people lease their land to conservancies to earn an income,...
Apply Now: $37,000 for Your African Financial Technology Innovation

Apply Now: $37,000 for Your African Financial Technology Innovation

Published on: Aug 30 2021 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
Digital financial services are contributing to financial inclusion for Africans – almost 40% of the world’s population. The rapid spread of mobile money...
5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa

5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa

Published on: Dec 17 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on 5 Lessons Learned Managing COVID-19 Grant Applications in South Africa
Kwantu was working closely with the Free State Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) when COVID-19 hit South Africa. The...
Improving Tuberculosis Care with Behavior Change Technology

Improving Tuberculosis Care with Behavior Change Technology

Published on: Jul 02 2020 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Improving Tuberculosis Care with Behavior Change Technology
In the last twenty years, an explosion of research in the social sciences has demonstrated that seemingly small changes in the decision environment, such as a change...
Beware the Mobile Phone Hardware Quality Divide for Rural African Women

Beware the Mobile Phone Hardware Quality Divide for Rural African Women

Published on: Sep 20 2018 by Wayan Vota - 12 Comments
We all can celebrate the massive adoption of mobile phones across the African continent, and be astonished at the rapid uptake of smartphones in countries like...
Do Not Forget USSD: The Third Universal Mobile Application

Do Not Forget USSD: The Third Universal Mobile Application

Published on: Aug 29 2018 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Mobile applications designed to work with carrier provided services have generally focused on voice through Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and text through Short...
The Feature Phone is Not Yet Dead in Africa – Your Weekend Long Reads

The Feature Phone is Not Yet Dead in Africa – Your Weekend Long Reads

Published on: Feb 24 2018 by Steve Vosloo - 1 Comment
Quartz Africa reports that last year feature phones won market share from smartphones in Africa. The market share of smartphones fell to 39% in 2017 (from 45%),...
Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities

Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities

Published on: Jan 31 2018 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on Two Blockchain Use Cases for Self-Sovereign Digital Identities
Of all the emerging technologies that are likely to shape the future of international development, blockchain is certainly at the peak of inflated expectations....
5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh

5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh

Published on: Aug 28 2017 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh
Since the launch of Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh in 2011, significant growth has been observed across
all metrics, from account use to transaction...
Are You Guilty of Helping Safaricom Prey on Rural Women?

Are You Guilty of Helping Safaricom Prey on Rural Women?

Published on: Nov 17 2016 by Wayan Vota - 5 Comments
There are multiple development initiatives to increase women’s ownership and usage of mobile phones – everyone from GSMA to USAID to Mobile Network...