Maisha 254

Julian King, VP and General Manager at Xoom Xoom, PayPal’s money transfer service, announced in December of 2020 that the company’s customers in the US, UK, Canada and Europe can now send secure and convenient money transfers directly to mobile wallets in key markets across Africa with a focus on the underbanked segment. Maisha254's Benson Kamau spoke to Julian King, Vice President and General Manager at Xoom, to find out what the firm has in store for the Kenyan market. What does this entry into the Kenyan market look to achieve? Mobile money services are a key tool to further the goal of financial inclusion which is instrumental in lifting the unde rserved population out of poverty—and for driving economic growth. We picked these initial set of countries as they have a high percentage of mobile money registered account holders. In Kenya, over 60 percent of adults have mobile money accounts. In 2021, we plan to introduce our mobile wallet to more countries across Africa. Why did...

Following a partnership announced today between Visa and MYDAWA, it is now simpler and safer to purchase medication through the online pharmacy.  The partnership is part of a drive to encourage consumers to embrace cashless payments and avoid leaving their homes where possible in support of calls by the government for citizens to observe social distancing during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the incentives, Visa customers who order medication and other essential products via the MYDAWA platform get a discounted rate on their purchase. “This partnership with Visa could not have come at a more important time for the country.  We are fighting an invisible enemy and every Kenyan must follow the Government’s guidelines of staying at home unless they have essential matters to attend to.  By using MYDAWA, people will be able to stay at home and stay safe as they order for their essentials at a discounted price. This will ease the financial burden on tho...

Visa,  the world’s leader in digital payments, announced a tech startup based in Kenya, Mookh Africa, as the overall winner of its first-ever Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Everywhere Initiative, a global program aimed at startups and designed to encourage the development of the next big thing in payments. The winning solution beat 11 other finalists selected from 238 submissions to emerge as the champions. Eric Thimba, Co-founder and CEO of Mookh Africa, Overall winner of Visa’s Everywhere Initiative in Sub Saharan Africa and winner of the Social Business Payments Challenge” The SSA program was structured around three real-life business challenges: 1.      Merchant Payments Challenge : How to enable smaller merchants to accept payments in-store digitally  OR  Provide a safe and secure solution for online merchants to drive eCommerce and reduce cash on delivery? 2.      Social Business Payments Challenge : How can startups use ...