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Working in technology can, at times, be an isolating experience for women, especially in Africa. The impact of this can limit women’s professional growth in the sector. Women need mentors, role-models and a network to share their experiences, challenges and skills.
Some Women in Technology clubs exist already, but to date, no-one has attempted to build a pan-African network, allowing us to compare our challenges, learn from other countries and connect across borders to expand our influence.
Women in Tech Africa routinely runs event across Africa including:
• First Pan African Women in Tech virtual conference
• Quarterly meetings in Ghana showcasing successful women in tech in that country including head of Google, head of Microsoft Africa
• Joint Women and Tech and USAID Program on the subject of women and technology, the future of Africa
• Women in Technology sessions in Lagos Nigeria at Africa biggest social media event , social media Lagos
• Training for Women Entrepreneurs on the use on technology for business growth
Join Us and become part of the largest group of Women in the Technology sector of African descent
Women in Tech Africa held the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards over the weekend, to acknowledge amazing women who have accomplished tremendous achievements in the technology space.
At the hybrid virtual event livestreamed from Accra Ghana, Special Guest for the ceremony, Minister of State for ICT and TVET, Rwanda Claudette Irere commended all the nominees for their phenomenal resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking on the theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology: Maximizing The Benefits of a Post Pandemic Tech Boom,” she admitted how women have been more likely to bear the brunt of childcare issues and feel pressure to be more productive despite being in hard times. She also addressed how tech companies have played a pivotal role during the pandemic and how it is important for women to take full advantage of the benefits of the “post pandemic tech boom.” She ended by congratulating all the nominees and urged them to do more to mentor young girls into STEM fields.
The awards ceremony made up of 11 categories, spanned the various regions of the African continent. Winners for each category were determined by a panel of seasoned judges, namely, Rebecca Enonchong- Founder and CEO AppsTech / Board Chair Afrilabs, Estelle Akofio- Sowah- West Africa Regional Manager, CSquared, Onica N. Makwakwa- Head of Africa Region, Alliance for Affordable Internet. It also included Fatuma Muzungu- Advisor, Strategy and Innovation, FinDev Canada, Sameera Chattun Koyratty- Managing Director, Safe Sha Training Centre/ WiTA Mauritius Chapter Lead and Precious Mdlalose- Post Investments and Value Creation Manager, IDF.
About the Awards
The awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”
Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.
SEE FULL LIST OF WINNERS BELOW:
CIO/CTO OF THE YEAR AWARD- Titilope Fakuade, CIO MTN Liberia
CORPORATE WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD- Kari Tukur, Vice President MasterCard Sub Saharan Africa
MOST IMPACTFUL WOMEN IN TECH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE AWARD- ShEquity
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, WEST AFRICA- Kemi Okusanya, General manager, Visa West Africa
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH DIASPORA- Brenda Zikonda, Cyber Security Consultant | Project Manager, Deloitte España
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, NORTH AFRICA- Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi , Professor National Research Centre, Egypt
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH SOUTH AFRICA- Yolanda Cuba, Group Regional Vice President Southern And East Africa At MTN Group
TECH ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR- Eva Sow Ebion- Director #I4Policy
TECH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR- Temie Giwa – Tubosun- Founder, Lifebank Nigeria
WOMAN IN TECH STARTUP OF THE YEAR- Ama Dadson, Founder Akoobooks
WOMAN IN TECH TO WATCH- Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor, Jua Fund
Nominations for the Women in Tech Africa Awards 2021 have been announced. There are 30 nominees across 11 categories with nominations spanning the African continent, as well as the diaspora. The full list of nominees follows this release.
We received more than 150 heartwarming and impressive nominations, leaving the task of shortlisting and the determination of winners to our judging panel of seasoned professionals in the field.
This year’s judging panel includes:
Rebecca Enonchong - Founder and CEO AppsTech / Board Chair Afrilabs
Estelle Akofio- Sowah- West Africa Regional Manager, CSquared
Onica N. Makwakwa- Head of Africa Region, Alliance for Affordable Internet
Fatuma Muzungu- Advisor, Strategy and Innovation, FinDev Canada
Sameera Chattun Koyratty- Managing Director, Safe Sha Training Centre/ WiTA Mauritius Chapter Lead
Precious Mdlalose- Post Investments and Value Creation Manager, IDF
We wish to congratulate all the nominees! We are especially proud to recognize and honour these amazing women doing exceptionally well in their respective fields. Winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on 31 July 21, 2021 in Accra, Ghana.
About the Awards
In partnership with FindevCanada, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”
Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.
NOMINEES
CIO/CTO OF THE YEAR AWARD
- Titilope Fakuade, CIO MTN Liberia
- May Govender, CIO for Card and Payments at Standard Bank South Africa
- Itumeleng Makgati, Group Executive, Information Security Standard Bank Group
CORPORATE WOMAN IN TECH AWARD
- Kari Tukur- Vice President, Mastercard, Sub Saharan Africa
- Yolanda Cuba – Group Regional Vice President Southern and East Africa at MTN Group
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, WEST AFRICA
- Kemi Okusanya- General Manager, Visa West Africa
- Gillian Darko- General Manager at Jumo World
- Leona Lillian Abban – Country Manager at Microensure
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH DIASPORA
- Brenda Zikonda, Cyber Security Consultant | Project Manager, Deloitte España
- Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor- Jua Fund
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH, NORTH AFRICA
- Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi , Professor National Research Centre, Egypt
- Lamia Chaari Fourati, Digital Research Center of SFAX
OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN TECH SOUTH AFRICA
- Dr. Adriana Marais- Founder, #ProudlyHuman
- Aisha R. Pandor- Co-Founder at SweepSouth.com
- Yolanda Cuba – Group Regional Vice President Southern and East Africa at MTN Group
TECH ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
- Edna Karijo, Emobilis Mobile Technology Institute
- Eva Sow Ebion- Director #i4policy
TECH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
- Charity Chitalu Mwanza, CEO Digital PayGo
- Temie Giwa – Tubosun- Founder, Lifebank Nigeria
WOMAN IN TECH STARTUP OF THE YEAR
- Adelaide Akinyi Odhiambo, Bluewave Insurance Agency
- Ama Dadson, Akoobooks
- Winifred Kotin, Superfluid Labs
WOMAN IN TECH TO WATCH AWARD
- Lebo Martins, Senior Project Manager iot.nxt & CEO of MiPELO
- Mapule Malau, Founder Ladycode
- Penina Kimani- CDO Longhorn Publishers
- Vera Baker, Venture Capital Investor- Jua Fund
MOST IMPACTFUL WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE AWARD
- ShEquity
- The Standard Chartered Women in Tech Incubator
WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA AWARDS 2021 ANNOUNCED
Taking their core mandate of technology leadership entrepreneurship expansion and multiplying the numbers of girls and women in technology, especially in Africa a step further, Women in Tech Africa has announced the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards.
Slated for 31st July 2021, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”
Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.
The awards have three main objectives:
• Celebrating women in STEM in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.
• The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women.
• Bringing together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking
NOMINATIONS OPENED
Nominate deserving candidates today! Or Nominate Yourself , Chances are you know someone that you believe deserves an award for the work they are doing, the projects or programs they are leading, or the support they are giving in their community.
Maybe it is you. Do you have a career, project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of? Then nominate yourself! These awards ae for real people and real projects like yours.
Click here https://forms.gle/ApnGB9yyKkyc3Zw76 and fill the nomination form. A panel of seasoned judges has been constituted to shortlist successful nominees. Nominees will be announced subsequently.
Deadline for nominations is 28th May 2021.
The Women in Tech Africa Awards will bring together exceptional women from across the world, provide an opportunity for stakeholders to network and reinforce relationships while giving them the well-deserved recognition.
Taking their core mandate of entrepreneurship expansion and multiplying the numbers of females in technology, especially in Africa a step further, Women in Tech Africa has announced the maiden edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards.
Slated for 31st July 2021, the awards scheme seeks to celebrate Women in Technology in Africa, who are excelling in the field at all career levels, under theme “Celebrating African Women in Technology”
Women in Tech Africa is the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.
The awards have three main objectives:
• Celebrating women in STEM in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.
• The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women.
• Bringing together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking
NOMINATIONS OPENED
Nominate deserving candidates today! Chances are you know someone that you believe deserves an award for the work they are doing, the projects or programs they are leading, or the support they are giving in their community.
Maybe it is you. Do you have a career, project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of? Then nominate yourself! These awards ae for real people and real projects like yours.
Click here https://forms.gle/ApnGB9yyKkyc3Zw76 and fill the nomination form. A panel of seasoned judges has been constituted to shortlist successful nominees. Nominees will be announced subsequently.
Deadline for nominations is 28th May 2021.
The Women in Tech Africa Awards will bring together exceptional women from across the world, provide an opportunity for stakeholders to network and reinforce relationships while giving them the well-deserved recognition.
THEME: Celebrating the resilient African woman in tech
Hosted by: Women in Tech Africa
The Women in Tech Africa Awards seek to recognize outstanding women in technology leadership positions and their ability to drive change in their organizations even through the difficult times that the pandemic brought upon us, especially in the sub region.
We aim to: Celebrate Women in Tech in AFRICA for their accomplishments as leaders in the tech sector, business, visionaries, and women who make a difference in their communities.
The awards will also recognize outstanding projects and initiatives across Africa that are helping build a brighter digital future for girls and women. Bring together women in technology across Africa for a night of networking.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES
CIO/ CTO of the Year Tech Entrepreneur of the Year
Woman in Tech To Watch ( Rising Star)
Women in Tech advocate of the year(Male Leader)
Outstanding Woman in Tech Award
-East Africa
-West Africa
-South Africa
-North Africa
Lifetime Achievement Award
ORGANISATIONAL CATEGORIES
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Award
Diversity Employer of the Year: Enterprise
oWoman in Tech Start-up Award
Best Corporate Champion of African Women in Tech
Employer of the Year (Women in Tech)
The Nomination Page will be Open in March 2021
Talk to us about becoming a global sponsor
partnerships@womenintechafrica.com
PRESS RELEASE
Africa’s Largest Women in Tech Digital Festival happens again in 2019 across 6 countries. This year, more women are expected to take part in the Women in Tech Week 2019, under the theme; Scaling Technology in Africa.
Book Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/o/women-in-tech-africa-26259896485
Website www.womenintechweek.com
Women in Tech Africa Website www.womenintechafrica.com
In 2018 Thousands of women from Africa and the Diaspora came together in different locations across the African continent to celebrate Women in Tech Week in 2018. They were engaged on issues of technology, and explored different ways women can grow as technology leaders. The events will feature topics such as, using technology to improve agriculture, the success stories, Leadership in Tech, Innovation & Technology for the Next Decade: A look at Inclusivity and a chance to engage with industry leaders.
Women in Tech Africa is currently the largest group on the continent with membership of over 5,000 across 30 countries globally with 12 Physical chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Germany, Ireland, Britain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Women in Tech Africa is also the 2018 recipient of the United Nations Equals Award for Leadership in the Women and Technology Space.
Women in Tech Week is attended by top ranking individuals across Africa, specifically: C-Level executives, female tech entrepreneurs and women aspiring for stem careers. The one-week celebration will be a great opportunity for women in technology spaces in Africa to come together to network, share and empower each other to improve and push forward Africa’s technology growth agenda. Each day of the week will delve into the different aspects of growth for leadership and technology.
The Women in Tech Week Festival will be held from 9th – 25th October 2019, consecutively across the continent. More than 20,000 participants from across Africa and the diaspora are expected to be part of the event. It will bring together renowned speakers such as, Nancy Matimu, VP, Head Market Development Sub Saharan Africa- MasterCard and Vere Shaba, Forbes Africa 30 under 30. There will also be seasoned professionals from the Technological space, Entrepreneurs, Government officials, Members of the Diplomatic corps and Non-Governmental Agencies in attendance.
This year’s Women in Tech Week is supported by Findev Canada and the German Development Corporation (GIZ), as headline sponsors.
We run training programs to team female entrepreneurs on how to use technology to grow their business
We train in Design Thinking
Content Management
Technology Choices
Women in Tech Africa are excited to announce that 2019 has started on a ‘winning’ note.
Women in Tech Africa has been nominated for the WSIS Prizes 2019 –the category (Action Line) C6.
We encourage you to show your support for the vision by voting for WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA in the category (Action Line) C6
PLEASE VOTE FOR US TO WIN OUR CATEGORY! .
Deadline for votes is 10th of February and is open to the public so everyone can vote.
How to vote?
1. Go to the link: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2019/Vote
2. Register as a new user
3. Log in to your account
4. Go to the “Voting Form”
5. Vote in each of 18 category (only then your vote is valid!), THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROGRESS TO THE NEXT CATEGORY
Here is a video on how to vote: https://www.facebook.com/WSISprocess/videos/549942075416012/
We appreciate your time and effort for making this a great win.
About WSIS
he World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-phase United Nations-sponsored summit on information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society
WSIS Prizes is a unique international contest developed in response to requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development oriented strategies that leverage the power of ICTs as an enabler of the development. The WSIS Prizes contest is an integral part of the WSIS stocktaking process; set up in 2004 to assist WSIS implementation and follow-up. The contest was held for the first time in 2012, and rapidly gained attention and popularity within the ICT for Development (ICT4D) community.
Building upon the outcomes of the United Nations General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the WSIS Prizes 2016 reflect close linkages with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The WSIS Prizes contest serves as the platform for identifying and showcasing the success stories across the WSIS Action Lines defined in the Geneva Plan of Action and SDGs. It also provides us with models that can be replicated in the interests of empowering the community at the local level, providing everyone with an opportunity to participate in the contest and, most importantly, recognizing the efforts made by stakeholders to contribute to the development of society and their commitment to achievement of both the WSIS goals and SDGs.
The first day of Women in Tech Week was exciting . Some highlights from Ghana(Kumasi), Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Germany and Mauritius
Kenya
We were honoured to have a tweet chat with Salome Gathoni on Digital Africa and the way forward for Africa. She shared insightful tips on areas governments are to focus
on to get Africa where it ought to be in terms of technology. Salome also shared tips on how to cope as a female in a male-dominated field such as technology. Check our twitter page for the full conversation.
Mauritius, Zambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Nigeria saw the launch of Women in Tech Week 2018 as they celebrated Digital Africa Day.
In our #Uganda #womenintechweek . our Speaker Astrid Haas spoke on Economics of Mobile Money . But more importantly like a boss she had a baby on her hip and technical knowledge on her lips . We salute her #womenintech #leadership #technology #motherhood
Women in Tech Week officially commences today, the 18th of September to 22nd September 2018, running in
16 countries with over 50 events and a great selection of speakers.
Day 1 , Tuesday 18th September - Digital Day
Zambia
18/09/2018
9:00 am - 1:45 pmDigital Africa Day- Zambia, View Event Venue , Zambia,University of Zambia- Library Basement, Lusaka ZambiaNigeria
Nigeria
18/09/2018
10:00 am - 1:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Port Harcourt, View Event ,Venue Nigeria,Tiva Creatives Office, Port Harcourt RiversSierra Leone
Sierra Leone
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Digital Africa Day- Sierra Leone, View Event , Venue: Sierra Leone,10:00AM, Freetown Sierra Leone
Kenya
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Digital Africa Day -Kenya Chapter- Live Tweet Chat-18th Sep 2018, View Event
Nigeria
4:00 pm - 7:45 pm Digital Africa Day- Imo State, View Event
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Lagos, View Event Venue Nigeria,NG_Hub by Facebook, Yaba Lagos
Uganda
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Digital Africa Day, Uganda, View Event Venue ,Uganda,Roundbob Offices, Kampala
Tanzania
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Tanzania, View Event
Germany
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm Digital Africa Day – Germany, View Event
Hello,
Are you ready to make a difference?
CTA and Women in Tech Africa , have partnered to create one day entreprenuerial workshops to encourage more women into agritech as a whole and more women into the Agri Hack Competition in Rwanda.
Do you think your solution makes an impact in the agricultural sector? Express your interest in partcipating in the competition by filling the form below:
Women in Tech Africa will advise on the call for application dates and corresponding modalities.
Please note , this is not the AgriHack competition , its a one day workshop to prepare women in agritech for the competition .
The Workshops will happen in Ghana,Kenya,Zambia,Cameroon,Trinidad and Tobego and Nigeria
The pitch AgriHack competition, part of the Agrihack Talent Initiative of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), aims at accelerating e-agriculture entrepreneurship for improved livelihoods. It is open to young innovators and entrepreneurs owners of ICT platforms offrering e-agriculture services.
This year, the competition will be organised under the theme: Women entrepreneurs innovate for agricultural transformation in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Benefits for finalits include access to boot camps, training, mentoring and exchange sessions, as well as potential grants and funds for winners to develop their products.
Fill Application Interest Form
Fill Application Interest Form
A Woman’s Worth - DigitalAgeConversations by Edith Utete ( Zimbabwe Chapter Lead WITA)
“Please also pay special attention to women. Women care for the other people much more than men. Men care for themselves. Women are going to be very powerful in the 21st century because last century people compared muscle; this century people compare wisdom. Hire as many women as possible – this is what we did and this is the secret sauce.”
“Please also pay special attention to women. Women care for the other people much more than men. Men care for themselves. Women are going to be very powerful in the 21st century because last century people compared muscle; this century people compare wisdom. Hire as many women as possible – this is what we did and this is the secret sauce.”
- Jack Ma on one of Alibaba’s successes
- Mentoring of young (and even older) women in tech
- Dealing with Sexual Harassment cases head on
- Addressing the “Bro-culture”
- Promote development across the board
- Re-assess job roles
- Recognize and acknowledge
- Recruitment and hiring practices free from prejudice
- Retention and advancement
The MTN Foundation and Women in Tech Africa have joined forces to create the most dynamic opportunity ever offered to study entrepreneurship in the start-up heart and innovation capital of Africa, Ghana. Spend 5 days learning about technology, entrepreneurship and how to turn your dream into a thriving business. Learn while doing.
WHY APPLY?
- Gain skills to test and develop your coding skills into a sustainable business
- Get introduced to digital tools that can help you grow your business
- Get connected to global mentors and industry experts
- Get knowledge about business model canvas that will help you build a sustainable business.
- Get trained on how to pitch your business idea/business to get funding.
- Innovation Grant (Cash Prize)
- Direct access into the MTN Appchallenge.
- Exposure to Mobile App Development, Internet of Things and business pitching skills.
- Ladies between the ages of 18-30
- Should have an idea which has a technology based solution that can help solve a problem and generate income for you.
- Must reside in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi or Tamale.
- Prior experience in coding or a degree in STEM is encouraged but not required.
- Application can be from an individual or a group of not more than 3.
- Accra 7th – 11th August
- Cape Coast 13th -17th August
- Kumasi 21st – 25th August
- Tamale 29th August -2nd August
APPLY BELOW
ABOUT MTN FOUNDATION: The MTN Foundation is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) management structure for the MTN Group's related initiatives across its 22 operations. The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in 2007 as a single purpose vehicle to drive all MTN's CSR initiatives in the country. The Foundation currently has three focus areas – Health, Education and Economic Empowerment. The Foundation is set up as a separate legal entity with its own independent Board of Directors and Patrons who oversee the operations of the Foundation. Its commitment is centered around the socio-economic development of the country through the roll out of appropriate and sustainable social interventions in communities all over the country. The main aim of the Foundation is to have a broad community impacting and supporting national and international development priorities. It facilitates partnership and sharing of resources to achieve mutual objectives. ABOUT WOMEN IN TECH AFRICA: Supporting Women in Tech Across Africa to Positively Support their Communities. Women in Tech Africa mission is 3 fold- Creating today’s female leaders and role Models for tomorrow’s Women • Showing the world what a strong African woman in capable of achieving • Support African growth through technology
The Growth of Mobile Money in Malawi
Mobile money is the currency stored in one’s mobile phone. Typically, a customer would bring money to a local agent who would deposit the money into the customer’s mobile phone in the form of mobile money. These agents are also able to withdraw money from a customer’s phone and provide cash. The agents often are local shopkeepers or just phone credit vendors who are trained by the mobile company providing the services.
Over the past 4 years, Malawi, a country where an overwhelming majority of the population lives in the rural areas has enjoyed and experienced the benefits of the Mobile Money services. This is so because 55% of Malawians do not have access to any form of financial institution and only 19% of the total population have formal bank accounts. Since bank accounts are so scarce, mobile money offers an accessible alternative for safely depositing, withdrawing, transferring and even saving money. Apart from bank accounts being scarce, most of the local people especially those who do not have a very good education background find it very difficult to open a formal bank account because of the requirements and language barriers since most of the banks use English for their various processes.
Mobile money has made it so easy for such locals to have a less involving alternative to these formal banks by having less requirements to attain the service and using local agents who easily explain the whole procedure to those who would want to use mobile money. Not only this but also the companies providing the mobile money service usually have Mobile Money Accelerator programs which raise awareness and the importance of using Mobile money services. These usually take place in the rural areas where one would not find a bank. So far in Malawi office projects for these programmes have been established in the rural parts of Mchinji and Lilongwe in the central region, Rumphi in the northern side and Blantyre in the southern part.
Furthermore with Mobile Money, one does not need to have an identity card or any other authentication requirement to have a mobile money account unlike the banks. All these factors put together, have made the mobile money service to be accepted and used by a good number of people in Malawi especially those who run small businesses in rural areas but cannot have access to a formal bank account. People involved in these small businesses who are mostly women are now able to have a safe place where their money can be stored and saved without having to go through a tedious process. Currently, at least 1.5 million Malawians use the Mobile Money service as compared to the 1.2 million people who are using formal banks. This clearly shows that there is a fast adoption and rapid growth of the mobile money service in Malawi.
Even though Mobile Money usage in Malawi is growing and being accepted, there are still some challenges which are hindering its growth. Firstly, there are only two of such services; “Mpamba” (money in the context of capital) provided by Telecom Network Malawi (TNM) and “khusa mmanja” (money in the hands) which is also provided by Airtel Malawi. This increases a lot of down time for the service due to request congestions caused by so many users wanting to access the service at the same time. As a result, some users of the service feel discouraged thinking that it does not really work and as such they end up not wanting to use the service and withdraw their money out of frustration. To solve this, there is the need for the appropriate authorities to encourage more service providers to reduce these congestions and alleviate the frustrations
Secondly, the agent network involved in the mobile money service is very small. Right now, there are only at least 10,000 agents involved in this business. This is because the commission involved is very low and demotivating to other interested would be agents. Hence, to have a great community of agents to spread and bring the gospel of Mobile Money service, there is the need to have a good raise in commissions. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Mobile Money service to be taken to all parts of Malawi.
Lastly, if mobile money service is to continue growing at a good rate in Malawi then it would be very essential to review and change the pricing, transaction costs and how they are affecting client and agent behaviour. Most especially, attention must be given to the model of charging per transaction as the current status is often a disincentive.
Profile of Writer Bridget Nyirongo, Malawi.
Bridget Nyirongo is a young Malawian female Computer Scientist (Software Developer)
passionate about using her technical expertise to see and realise a high
representation of females in the male dominated field of Information and
Communication Technology(ICT) in Africa. Since 2012, she has been working as the Assistant Systems Engineer (software development) for the University of Malawi, Chancellor College ICT Centre . She has technical expertise in Computer Programming (Ruby on Rails, PHP, HTML,JavaScript, HAML), Software refactoring, Plugin development for ECLIPSE IDE, database administration (MySQL, SQL), and Networking (LAN, WAN). During her free time she likes baking, reading inspirational articles or books and swimming.
REFERENCE
1. Kenneth Mbewe, The Oracle News, June, 2014.
2. Carrie Hasselback, Technology for Economic Growth: How Mobile Money Expands Financial
Inclusion in Malawi, FHI Project.
3. Charles Simango, the Malawi Nation News, February, 2015.
4. Sunduzwayo Madise. Payment Systems and Mobile Money in Malawi: Towards Financial Inclusion
and Financial Integrity. University of Malawi, November 2014.
Furthermore with Mobile Money, one does not need to have an identity card or any other authentication requirement to have a mobile money account unlike the banks. All these factors put together, have made the mobile money service to be accepted and used by a good number of people in Malawi especially those who run small businesses in rural areas but cannot have access to a formal bank account. People involved in these small businesses who are mostly women are now able to have a safe place where their money can be stored and saved without having to go through a tedious process. Currently, at least 1.5 million Malawians use the Mobile Money service as compared to the 1.2 million people who are using formal banks. This clearly shows that there is a fast adoption and rapid growth of the mobile money service in Malawi.
Even though Mobile Money usage in Malawi is growing and being accepted, there are still some challenges which are hindering its growth. Firstly, there are only two of such services; “Mpamba” (money in the context of capital) provided by Telecom Network Malawi (TNM) and “khusa mmanja” (money in the hands) which is also provided by Airtel Malawi. This increases a lot of down time for the service due to request congestions caused by so many users wanting to access the service at the same time. As a result, some users of the service feel discouraged thinking that it does not really work and as such they end up not wanting to use the service and withdraw their money out of frustration. To solve this, there is the need for the appropriate authorities to encourage more service providers to reduce these congestions and alleviate the frustrations
Secondly, the agent network involved in the mobile money service is very small. Right now, there are only at least 10,000 agents involved in this business. This is because the commission involved is very low and demotivating to other interested would be agents. Hence, to have a great community of agents to spread and bring the gospel of Mobile Money service, there is the need to have a good raise in commissions. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Mobile Money service to be taken to all parts of Malawi.
Lastly, if mobile money service is to continue growing at a good rate in Malawi then it would be very essential to review and change the pricing, transaction costs and how they are affecting client and agent behaviour. Most especially, attention must be given to the model of charging per transaction as the current status is often a disincentive.
Profile of Writer Bridget Nyirongo, Malawi.
Bridget Nyirongo is a young Malawian female Computer Scientist (Software Developer)
passionate about using her technical expertise to see and realise a high
representation of females in the male dominated field of Information and
Communication Technology(ICT) in Africa. Since 2012, she has been working as the Assistant Systems Engineer (software development) for the University of Malawi, Chancellor College ICT Centre . She has technical expertise in Computer Programming (Ruby on Rails, PHP, HTML,JavaScript, HAML), Software refactoring, Plugin development for ECLIPSE IDE, database administration (MySQL, SQL), and Networking (LAN, WAN). During her free time she likes baking, reading inspirational articles or books and swimming.
REFERENCE
1. Kenneth Mbewe, The Oracle News, June, 2014.
2. Carrie Hasselback, Technology for Economic Growth: How Mobile Money Expands Financial
Inclusion in Malawi, FHI Project.
3. Charles Simango, the Malawi Nation News, February, 2015.
4. Sunduzwayo Madise. Payment Systems and Mobile Money in Malawi: Towards Financial Inclusion
and Financial Integrity. University of Malawi, November 2014.