EcocashSave Reaches 900,000 Subscribers

Econet Wireless announced that subscribers to their Ecocash Save mobile banking service have now reached 900,000. 50,000 more than subscribers to typical brick and mortar banking services in Zimbabwe combined. The announcement was made in the same release announcing that Ecocash Save will start lending cash to subscriber in early 2014. The numbers are no

Standard Bank Building on App Roll-out Across Africa

South African financial institution Standard Bank will be releasing an Android app next year, following the continued launch of its mobile device accessibility in various African countries in 2013. The bank has piloted its sales app and tablet technology in Ghana, Tanzania and Angola since 2012, continuing this year with releases in Zambia, Kenya, Botswana

MTN Mobile Money Surpasses One Million Users

Mobile Money subscribers on South Africa’s MTN network have reached one million since the service was launched in November last year. Unlike in Kenya, where the concept has grown rapidly, mobile money has been slow to catch on in South Africa, which has a more matured and developed formal banking sector. According to MTN and

Banks Should Invest in Mobile Money Tech – KBA

Habil Olaka, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), has called for more investment in mobile money technology by banks to increase accessibility to banking services. Olaka, who officially opened the seventh annual AITEC Banking and Mobile Money COMESA Conference in Nairobi today, said adoption of mobile technology would increase efficiency and

Javelin Finds Online Account Opening, and Mobile, Growing Successfully

The fact that 88.5 million Americans attempted to open account online or with a mobile device in the past 12 months underscores how far online account opening has come in a few short years. Nonetheless, its potential remains largely untapped, especially as consumers place growing importance on mobile capabilities. Today, Javelin Strategy & Research released

Over 80 million people in Middle East and Africa will turn to mobile banking by 2017

Experts predict that mobile banking in the Middle East and Africa will jump from 19,8 million to 82,1 million users by 2017. Over the last five years the developing world has experienced substantial growth in the adoption of mobile technology. Emerging markets offer not only new possibilities for traditional banking but major potential for transformative

MoneyGram Joining Forces with Lebara to Offer International Mobile Money Transfers

MoneyGram announced an agreement with Lebara Mobile, one of Europe’s leading mobile telecoms operators, to offer MoneyGram transfer services over the Lebara Money mobile and web solutions. MoneyGram’s money transfer platform is now integrated within the Lebara Money iPhone and Android mobile payment platform solutions and the Lebara Money website, enabling customers in the United

Diamond Bank launches Branchless Banking on BankOne

Nigerian banking behemoth Diamond Bank has intensified its focus on delivering financial services to the under-banked in the informal sector by launching its “branchless banking” service on BankOne, a mobile banking application which allows instant account opening and registration. The application is designed and developed by AppZone, a fast-growing technology company. The integration of the

ABSA Launches Mobile Rewards Programme

Financial services Group Absa announced that South Africans on its Rewards programme can now instantly redeem their cash rewards on the mobile banking platform, Absa.mobi. Through the Absa.mobi site, Absa Rewards members will not only be the first in South Africa to instantly redeem their cash rewards on cellphone banking, they can also view their

South African E-banking Survey Reveals Surge in Mobile Banking

Online research specialists Columinate have released the results of the second annual Internet Banking SITEisfaction survey, a report on customers’ usage and perceptions of e-banking in South Africa. The survey quizzed over 1400 South African e-bankers on their online banking habits and attitudes, and revealed several interesting trends. The survey revealed that the South African