Tag: emerging markets

Africa’s Digital Sex Economy is quietly growing and investors are funding it : Size, Trends, and the New Hustle

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Africa’s Digital Sex Economy is quietly growing and investors are funding it : Size, Trends, and the New Hustle
Across Africa’s urban hubs—from Lagos to Johannesburg, Accra to Nairobi—a new economic frontier is quietly booming: the digital sex economy. Once confined to the backstreets and brothels, sex work has now migrated to private screens and subscription platforms. Powered by mobile technology, platforms like OnlyFans, Telegram, WhatsApp, and anonymous digital wallets, a new generation of African women (and some men) is reimagining how sexual labor is marketed, monetized, and consumed.

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Making the Case for Open Banking in Ghana: A Strategic Imperative for the Bank of Ghana

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A New Way to Power Finance in Ghana Imagine being able to use a single mobile app to see your bank accounts, mobile money wallets, savings, insurance, and even your loan eligibility—all in one place, in real-time. Now imagine that app recommending the best savings plan or offering a better loan deal from a different bank with just a few clicks. That is the power of Open Banking.

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Taxing Big Tech in Africa: A Necessary Move, But Are We Killing Our Own Digital Growth?

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Taxing Big Tech in Africa: A Necessary Move, But Are We Killing Our Own Digital Growth?
In recent years, African governments have been looking for ways to tax non-resident tech giants—companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta—who generate billions in revenue from African consumers but contribute little in taxes to the local economy. On the surface, this seems like a fair move. After all, if these companies are making money in our markets, shouldn’t they pay their fair share?
But here’s the problem: If not done carefully, these digital taxes could hurt the very businesses and digital ecosystems African governments are trying to grow.
Let’s break it down.

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The Sachetization of Products:The FMCG Way of Serving the Underserved in Emerging Markets , Lessons for Digital Products?

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The concept of “sachetization” refers to packaging products in small, affordable quantities to improve access for low-income consumers, particularly in emerging markets. Beyond consumer goods, this strategy can apply to digital products, promoting frugal innovation, digital inclusion, community empowerment, and resilience by making services accessible to marginalized communities.

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The State of Mobile Money in Africa 2024,it’s evolving use cases and a couple of tough questions

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The “GSMA State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2024” underscores mobile money’s critical role in global financial inclusion, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa with 548 million accounts driving significant GDP growth. West Africa’s boom in mobile money, spurred by innovative regulations and non-MNO services, contrasts with East Africa’s MNO-led model. Use cases are expanding beyond transactions to remittances and merchant payments, fueling economic development. Technological advances and regulation prompt this sector’s promising future, offering transformative potential especially in underbanked regions.

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