Millions of people in Africa now have access to financial systems thanks to cashless systems using digital technology and more and more people are seeing the benefits of mobile banking
Millions of people in Africa now have access to financial systems thanks to cashless systems using digital technology and more and more people are seeing the benefits of mobile banking, according to Ecobank, an independent pan-African banking group.
Nshuti Lucy Mbabazi, Ecobank Group Assistant Vice President for Push Payments, took part in a panel looking at delivering a cashless society in Africa.
“Digital technology is central to what we do at Ecobank. Technology offers us great opportunities to open up new markets, increase choice and speed delivery of services,” says Mbabazi.
Africa is now at the forefront of FinTech with 57.6% of the world’s 174 million active registered mobile money accounts (100.1 million) in Sub-Saharan Africa. FinTech in Africa is predicted to grow from US$200 million to US$3 billion by 2020.
Rwanda has the second highest use of mobiles in Africa, with more than 50% of the population unique subscribers. Kenya has the highest penetration rate of almost 60% of the population.
“For instance, Rwanda is seeking to move from a cash-based economy to a digital one. The number of digital transactions in Rwanda increased by 11 per cent in the first half of 2017 from 1.37 million the previous year to 1.53 million in the same period, and more and more merchants and dealers are becoming access points.”
“Rwanda has had a 26% growth in the volume of transactions from 8.6 million to 119 million in 2016/17, representing an increase of a third in value from Rwf 469 billion to Rwf 622 billion. Point of sale (POS) transactions in Rwanda have almost doubled in volume from 270 084 to 523 473, doubling the cash value to Rwf 32 billion.”
“Overall FinTech in Africa will grow from around $200 million currently to $3 billion by 2020,” said Nahutii.
“Going digital provides not just better services and connectivity, but enables banks and businesses to unlock productivity and play a role in development.”
