Last week I wrote about the struggling Nigerian eCommerce companies. QZ had recently put out on article stating that there were several eCommerce companies either shutting down or downsizing. It’s compelling. There doesn’t seem to be product market fit yet,…
Yesterday’s post on the eCommerce success story of Indonesia sparked a lot of thought on how Africa can achieve the same success. There have been a few major eCommerce success stories in Africa, but those are mostly isolated to South…
The McKinsey report on eCommerce in Indonesia is a great read for anyone interested in how a logistical nightmare of a country is leapfrogging traditional commerce to move into the digital age. Have a read here. This year I’m doing…
When it comes to digital lending in China, Lufax is the name to beat. They are backed by Ping An Insurance Group, which is now one of the most innovative financial conglomerates in China. Since they have expanded beyond insurance, they’re…
I work in digital finance. Since 2015, I’ve been focused on the ecosystem in Africa, launching four products and one marketplace. It’s clear that digital lending will continue its phenomenal growth in Africa. This has the trajectory of the Chinese…
Low-Cost Android Phones are becoming more available across Africa. I’ve seen phones for as low as $40 in Tanzania and Zambia. These are generally subsidized by MNOs, and customers are even given incentives to buy with cheap credit options. Digitization…
When you look at MTN and Vodacom’s strategic imperatives each year, for the most part, they’re really close. I’ve lined up them up below for you, and as you see, the first four are the same. Vodacom MTN Best Customer…
Earlier this year I was kicking around the idea of angel investing in some African start-ups. I asked my VC friends what I should do to prepare, and their advice was to firstly come up with a good thesis. Without a thesis,…
A colleague sent me some research on Microfinance last night. I’ve spent most of my career in the sector, moving from pure microfinance in my early twenties to tech-enabled microcredit and savings in my late twenties. The research I’ve read…
Acquiring customers on a digital application in Africa is difficult. Consumers are in this weird place where they are leapfrogging a lot of crap services. However, they’re still in a very young industry and don’t have a lot of options.…