The strategic partnership between Viva Wallet, a leading European cloud-based neobank, and Elo, a leading global supplier of interactive touch solutions, is pioneering a new retail payments experience. European businesses can now offer new payment experiences, accepting Chip & PIN and Tap-on-Phone contactless payments by combining Viva Wallet’s cutting-edge embedded payments platform for smart devices, with Elo M50 and M60 Pay mobile computers in an enterprise-grade mobile point of sale system. One piece of technology that integrates smart retail software and payment acceptance for each and every transaction into a powerful and robust handheld Android computer; anywhere, anytime, seamlessly, all from the palm of your hand. Viva Wallet and Elo’s strategic alliance, featuring additional omnichannel solutions, has gone live in Europe with plans to expand globally, including the US. Continue reading
Category Archives: Finance
First ammonia future traded
Global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus announced that the first-ever futures ICE Ammonia Outright – Argus Ammonia NWE CFR Future contract has traded between counterparties in a deal brokered by Freight Investor Services (FIS). The 5,000-tonne futures contract was traded at $385/t for May delivery and cleared through ICE. Continue reading
The National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) of Zambia allows partial pension withdrawals
April 18, 2023 /Finance/ — The law allows NAPSA beneficiaries to withdraw a portion of their pension savings before they reach retirement age. The amount that can be withdrawn is limited to 50% of the accumulated savings, and the withdrawal can be made in installments over a period of up to 10 years.
To qualify for partial pension withdrawal, beneficiaries must meet the following criteria: Continue reading
Zambia’s digital asset regulation tests framework
April 16, 2023 /Finance Technology/ — Zambia is currently testing a technology that would form the foundation of digital asset regulation. The tests are being conducted by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) and the country’s securities regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The tests are designed to assess the feasibility of regulating digital assets in Zambia. They are also designed to identify any potential risks associated with digital assets and to develop mitigation strategies. Continue reading
Financial Literacy and Inclusion. How to ensure that financial services deliver for everyone.
LONDON, 13 April 2023 / Policy/ –Financial literacy and inclusion are essential for a strong and vibrant economy. When people have the knowledge and skills to manage their finances, they are better able to save, invest, and plan for the future. They are also less likely to fall into debt or become victims of financial fraud.
There are a number of things that can be done to improve financial literacy and inclusion. One is to provide more financial education in schools and workplaces. Another is to make financial products and services more accessible to everyone, regardless of income or background. Finally, it is important to break down the stigma associated with debt and financial hardship.
Here are some specific ways to improve financial literacy and inclusion: Continue reading
Impact of the Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia Investigation in Africa and its leaders
LONDON, 13 April 2023 / — It is still too early to say what the full impact of Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigation will be on Africa and its leaders. However, the investigation has already had a number of significant impacts. Continue reading
Industry players call for a ‘non-stop’ approach to Africa’s banking digitisation
If banks want to remain competitive in the face of neo-bank and fintech upstarts, they’ll have to fundamentally change the way they do business to be digital first. And if they’re going to achieve that goal, then working with technology partners to ensure that they have the right infrastructure in place will be crucial. That was the overriding message from the speakers at a media roundtable event hosted during the Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023, recently held in Cape Town, South Africa. Continue reading
Equifax Introduces New OneScore Scoring Model to Help Expand Access to Credit and Drive Financially Inclusive Lending
Equifax® (NYSE: EFX) continues to support financially inclusive lending with the launch of OneScore, a new consumer credit scoring model that combines the company’s leadership in alternative data insights with the power of the Equifax Cloud™ to provide U.S. lenders and service providers with a more comprehensive financial picture of credit seeking consumers. OneScore is unique to the industry because it is the first single score to combine traditional credit history with telecommunications, pay TV and utility payment data on over 191 million consumers, as well as Equifax DataX and Teletrack specialty finance data on 80 million consumers – including payment history from non-traditional banks and lenders – potentially increasing credit scores by up to 25 points and the scorable population by more than 20 percent.
Women only gained access to the London Stock Exchange in 1973 – why did it take so long?
James Taylor, Lancaster University
On March 26 1973, the London Stock Exchange admitted its first female members. This followed years of resistance, with London trailing behind other smaller exchanges around the UK.
That women had been excluded for so long was not only due to institutional misogyny. Research has shown how finance was imagined in sexist terms for centuries. And despite the extraordinary accomplishments of prominent female figures over the past 50 years, these biased beliefs persist to this day.
PitchBook Predicts VC-Backed Exits
PitchBook, the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets, today released PitchBook’s VC Exit Predictor, a new tool and scoring methodology that objectively assesses a startup’s prospect of a successful exit. The tool leverages machine learning and PitchBook’s database of information on VC companies, financing rounds and investors. The primary component underpinning the tool is a classification model developed by PitchBook’s Institutional Research Group that predicts the probability a VC-backed startup will ultimately be acquired, go public, or not exit due to failure or becoming self-sustaining. PitchBook’s VC Exit Predictor is accessible within the PitchBook Platform and can be found on company profiles and in advanced search. Continue reading