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CR2 (www.CR2.com): Across Africa, all banking and payment channels are showing positive growth – from ATM usage through to mobile wallets. The key challenge for banks is to equip themselves so that they can provide a range of channel options and meet consumer demand.

A quick snapshot of banking and payment trends in Africa offers encouraging news for banks on the continent and opportunities for growth. Thanks to Africa’s diverse population – and with that a wide range of banking and payment needs – all means of payments have their place on the continent, including ATMs, point of sale, cards, digital wallets and mobile money. And across the board volumes are increasing.

Facts and figures

Africa has always been the global leader in mobile money uptake, and this has been further spurred on by the COVID-19 crisis. In 2020, the number of mobile money accounts in Africa passed the half a billion mark, and Africa alone accounted for more than 64% of the value of global mobile money transactions, totalling $767 billion. Looking to the future, there is no sign of this growth slowing.

That said, traditional banking and payment channels, like ATMs and POS also show an upward trend, highlighting the wide range of needs of the African population.

In Botswana, for example, both the volume and value of transactions at ATMs and POS show a steady increase year-on-year. In January to March 2018, the number of ATM transactions stood at 9.979 million rising to 15.241 million transactions in the first quarter of 2020. POS figures show similar growth, with 9.986 million transactions being recorded in the first quarter of 2018, rising to 15.423 million transactions in the first quarter of 2020.

In Kenya, one of the leading mobile money markets, ATM and POS transactions took a slight dip at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have bounced back and continue to show an upward trend.

While card penetration in Africa lags behind the rest of the world, this too is showing growth. For example, the number of cards issued in Ghana rose by 11% year-on-year from 2018 to 2019, with the volume of transactions rising by 51%. But this growth occurred alongside a steep uptake in the volume of mobile money transactions (a year-on-year growth of 39%) highlighting consumers’ appetite for a variety of payment methods and channels.

This is a trend we see reflected across the continent and highlighted in a McKinsey study that includes the results from their Covid Africa Consumer Pulse Survey conducted in April last year, showing the likelihood of increased or decreased use of particular banking channels. Using Nigeria, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa as examples, it predicts a significant growth in both online and mobile banking.

Understanding your customer

Acknowledging that Africa is not one market and is home to a population whose circumstances vary widely – rural and urban; high and low income; unbanked and underbanked – is key. Banks need to ensure that they reduce the barrier of entry for their customers – or potential customers – regardless of their location, income, or literacy level by offering a broad range of banking channels and instruments for payments.

Within the various markets, a number of market enablers and the interplay between them affect consumer uptake of different channels. These include regulatory requirements, existing card penetration and mobile penetration.

In countries like South Africa where traditional banking channels have an existing stronghold and card penetration is high, there are a low demand and uptake of digital wallet offerings, despite high mobile penetration.

In Nigeria, for example, slow adoption of regulatory and policy requirements stunted the mobile money market, while in Kenya, where the regulatory stance was more hands off, mobile money grew quickly and continues to rise.

In many countries, a change in government policies at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns were implemented and bank branches were closed, helped to spark a surge in digital banking, mobile money customers and transactions.

In Rwanda, the Central Bank introduced a variety of policy changes, including free transfers between bank accounts and mobile wallets; free mobile money transfers; zero merchant fees for mobile POS contactless transactions; and increased transfer limits. This resulted in a 450% increase in person-to-person payments; a 200% increase in the number of people using mobile payments; and a 700% increase in the weekly value of funds being spent digitally at merchants.

Access channels and reach are also essential considerations for banks, particularly as a driver for financial inclusion. For much of Africa’s rural population, the proximity of a banking service or payment channel determines their habits. For many, an agent will be their nearest financial service access channel, followed by POS, ATM, Post Office and then branch. The more significant the service offering, the further away it is. This again emphasises the need for banks to offer an array of channels.

The fact that a large portion of Africa’s population is underbanked or unbanked, also underlines the need for a full range of services, from basic cash in, cash out and person-to-person transfers through to more enhanced services, including electronic payments such as debit orders, insurance offerings, access to credit and customer loyalty programmes.

As banks try to move their customers up this ladder, self-service is seen as the ideal bridge between physical and digital channels. As many banks consider branch rationalisation, these self-service options preserve a human element in the banking experience, which is still a priority for many customers.

Absa Botswana has reaped the rewards of expanding its self-service offerings. The bank reported a 34% increase in digital banking services usage as it rolled out a variety of digital financial services offerings, in keeping with customer appetite for self-service banking options. This includes the launch of Digital Corners in its banking halls where customers can utilise a variety of services, from forex and bill payments to card management and transfers.

Ultimately, the challenge for banks is to understand their customer base and their differing circumstances and needs and to deliver an array of services to ensure financial inclusion and ultimately economic prosperity for the continent.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CR2.
About CR2: CR2 has been supporting banks in Africa to enable them to meet their local challenges for over 20 years. Today, more than 100 banks in 60 countries worldwide, including 34 countries in Africa, trust CR2’s digital banking, self-service and payment solutions to meet the diverse needs of their customers. If you would like to discuss how they can help your bank innovate and offer compelling and relevant services, get in touch: info@CR2.com or www.CR2.com.

CR2 Market Insight: African Banking and Payments Trends

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The rise in human rights violations and abuses in Mali since last August is deeply concerning, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday.

There have been repeated attacks over the last six months by groups such as the Jama&#39;at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), as well as violence across communal lines, all resulting in civilian casualties.
The Human Rights and Protection Division of the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) recorded 617 human rights abuses, including 165 killings (147 men, nine women, seven boys and two girls) by armed groups from January to June 2021. This represents an increase of some 37 per cent on the 449 abuses, among them 121 killings, documented from August to December 2020.
A striking example of the deteriorating human rights situation across Mali is a steep rise in abductions, largely by community-based armed groups and militias in central Mali, notably the Da Na Ambassagou militia, and also by armed groups such as the Jama&#39;at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin(JNIM).
During the first six months of 2021, MINUSMA documented at least 328 abductions (307 men, 11 boys, nine women and one girl), significantly more than the 187 cases documented during 2020 and a four-fold increase on abductions in 2019.
In addition, MINUSMA recorded a sharp increase in violations by State actors in the first half of 2021 &#8211; up from 53 violations recorded between August and December 2020 to 213 violation between January and June this year. Of these, 155 violations were perpetrated by the Malian Defence and Security Forces (MDSF), including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of 44 civilians. These 155 violations represented some 73% of those committed by State actors.
&#8220;I again urge the Malian authorities to break the cycle of impunity and establish prompt, thorough, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including those committed by the military. Accountability must prevail to ensure peace,&#8221; the High Commissioner stressed. &#8220;I note that the Malian Prime Minister recently said he is committed to ending impunity and so I call upon the Government to translate this commitment into action without delay.&#8221;
&#8220;I also call upon the Government to take concrete steps towards the effective and swift implementation of the recommendations of the International Commission of Inquiry,&#8221; Bachelet added.
&#8220;I urge the Malian authorities to ensure that the rule of law is respected and human rights upheld, and to take steps to enhance the gender balance in leadership roles during this transition period,&#8221; Bachelet said.
Just over 21 per cent of transitional Government are women &#8211; six members out of a total of 28. This falls short of the requirements of Malian legislation from 2015 that stipulates 30 per cent of positions filled by appointment or election must be held by women.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Mali: Rampant impunity for human rights violations poses grave risk for protection of civilians- Bachelet

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With pro-democracy protests intensifying, seven people have critically been injured and one person reportedly killed after police fired teargas and live ammunition at protesters last night. Amnesty International is urging the Eswatini authorities to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“The protests unfolding across Eswatini are a result of years of denial of political, economic and social right to the people, including young people, and recent escalation of suppression of dissent by the authorities. Defending human rights and expressing critical views have been criminalized, and authorities have systematically crushed freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
“Protesters, and particularly youth, from all four regions within Eswatini are now taking to the streets to demand political reforms, and the authorities must ensure that people are able to express their grievances without fear of intimidation or abuse. There are reports that security forces have shot dead at least one protester and critically injured seven protestors. Authorities must launch a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into these reports and ensure that all those responsible, including those with command responsibility, are brought to justice in fair trials.&#8221;
Background
“Pro-democracy” protests started last month in the Kingdom of Eswatini following the mysterious death of 25-year-old law student, Thabani Nkomonye, allegedly at the hands of the police. Spearheaded by the youth, protesters are demanding political reforms.
Political activism has been suppressed for years in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the last absolute monarch on the African continent, with authorities using repressive laws, including the 1938 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA Act) and the 2008 Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) as a tactic to silence critics. Journalists, human right defenders and political activists have been jailed simply for speaking out against this repression of dissent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

Eswatini: Right to protest must be respected

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Commenting after regional forces took control of Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, from Ethiopian government forces yesterday, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said: “Amnesty International remains deeply concerned about the safety of civilians in Tigray, who have endured months of fighting and serious human rights abuses, including war crimes, by all sides. As Ethiopian government forces retreat and Tigray regional forces re-establish control, protection of civilians must be paramount.

Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director
“We call on all parties to prevent further massacres and war crimes, including by ensuring no reprisal attacks are carried out by their troops or militias allied to them. All parties must ensure unfettered access to humanitarian aid for all civilians, and work to restore full access to communication as there is no access to the internet, print or broadcast media at the moment.”
The Tigray Defence Forces (TDF), the armed forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, regained control of Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, on 28 June following months of fighting with the Ethiopian army – the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF), its allied militias, and troops from Eritrea.
There are fears of reprisal attacks against civilians in Tigray by all sides  &#8211; retreating ENDF troops, their allied armed forces and militias in the neighbouring Amhara region and Eritrean forces and the TDF.
Access to information is currently hindered by a communication blackout, with no internet service, newspapers, radio or television broadcasts in the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

Ethiopia: As Mekelle changes hands, civilians remain in urgent need of protection

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Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quickstep) won the 4th stage of the Tour de France in a mass sprint, beating Nacer Bouhanni (Arkea-Samsic) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) into the minor podium places.

Stage 4 of the Tour de France was somewhat of a welcomed ‘relaxed’ stage, given the fact that a number of riders are nursing injury after numerous crashes in the opening three stages of the French grand tour.
Today’s stage saw riders take on a flat 150km route, from Redon to Fourges. Just two riders jumped into the break of the day and so it was relatively easy for the sprinter teams to control the gap by sharing the workload in the peloton.
Team Qhubeka NextHash had plans to look after Max Walscheid for the expected sprint finale after the German secured 10th place in yesterday’s reduced group sprint. From 30km to go the team was well represented near the head of the peloton.
In what should have been a straight forward sprint finish, it was nearly not, as Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal) attacked his breakaway companion in the final 10km, to go solo for the line. The peloton did not react to the increase in speed up the road, which saw Van Moer push out the gap to over a minute.
In the end, the young Belgian come up just 200 metres short before the sprinters came flying by, with Mark Cavendish taking a strong victory. Walscheid was not in a position to contest for the win and crossed the line in 16th place.
All other Team Qhubeka NextHash riders crossed the line safely and now look ahead to tomorrow’s stage five individual time trial.
Simon Clarke It’s a little bit embarrassing to say but it’s my first day without a crash! I&#39;ve gone a few Tours without crashing at all so think that I’ve made up for it in the first three days this year. Today fortunately was a much more straightforward day with the plan to look after Max for the sprint and it looks like it was a very exciting final.
We don’t have a big leader or general classification rider here but we’re a united team and we’re working with that mentality; we’re trying to show our strength nonetheless.
Victor Campenaerts Short stage today but with a super-fast final. We committed well as a team, we were riding according to our plan but perhaps in the final it was a bit easier to move than we expected, so we were one or two short but it was a great Ubuntu spirit.
Everybody was involved, especially Nic and Sean, who did a great effort in keeping us in front for such a long time. It was very valuable, yesterday we didn’t have them in the final because they crashed but today they didn’t and they showed how valuable they are. Not the result we wanted but very promising for the stages to come.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka NextHash.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Rights-free video, audio and image content is available via the following link here (https://bit.ly/2UUJ3xj).
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 470 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka NextHash: Team Qhubeka NextHash is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka NextHash (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. 
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.

Walscheid 16th in Tour de France stage 4 sprint finish

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Repeated attacks over the past six months by groups such as the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), as well as inter-communal violence, have resulted in numerous casualties, she said.

At the same time, there has been a sharp increase in violations committed by national forces.
&#39;Accountability must prevail’
“I again urge the Malian authorities to break the cycle of impunity and establish prompt, thorough, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including those committed by the military. Accountability must prevail to ensure peace”, Ms. Bachelet stressed.
“I note that the Malian Prime Minister recently said he is committed to ending impunity and so I call upon the Government to translate this commitment into action without delay,” she added.
Ms. Bachelet cited data from the UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, which showed that some 617 rights abuses by armed groups were recorded from January to June of this year, or a nearly 40 per cent increase over August to December 2020.
The figure includes 165 killings: 147 men, nine women, seven boys and two girls.
Sharp rise in abductions
Mali has experienced two military coups over the past nine months, which have clouded efforts to restore an elected democratic government.  Transitional authorities have pledged to respect a calendar which calls for elections next February.
Ms. Bachelet said the deteriorating human rights situation there is characterized by the steep rise in abductions, largely at the hands of community-based armed groups and militias in the central region, such as the Da Na Ambassagou militia, but also by armed groups such as JNIM.
MINUSMA has documented at least 328 abductions during the first half of this year, which is significantly more than the 187 cases in 2020 and four-fold increase over 2019.  Again, most victims were men, who accounted for 307 of those captured, while 11 boys, nine women and a girl also were kidnapped.
Respect the rule of law
The UN mission also recorded a sharp rise in violations by State actors during the same period. Some 213 incidents were recorded, compared to 53 between August and December 2020.
Most, or 155, were carried out by the Malian Defence and Security Forces (MDSF), including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of 44 civilians.
“I urge the Malian authorities to ensure that the rule of law is respected and human rights upheld, and to take steps to enhance the gender balance in leadership roles during this transition period,” Ms. Bachelet said.
She added that women account for just over 21 per cent of the transitional Government members, or six out of 28, which falls short of legislation that stipulates 30 per cent of positions filled by appointment or election must be held by women.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Malian authorities urged to ‘break the cycle of impunity’ for human rights violations

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The development follows Monday’s reported entry into regional capital, Mekelle, of forces loyal to the opposition, after nearly eight months of heavy fighting.

In response to the pillaging of video equipment in Mekelle, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF on Monday, issued a statement denouncing those responsible, citing Members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces.
Earlier this month, the agency warned that 140,000 children are acutely malnourished and at risk of dying, unless aid access is forthcoming.
‘Extremely worried’
“We have seen reports that have come in and UNHCR is extremely worried about the latest developments inside Tigray, particularly in the capital Mekelle”, said Boris Cheshirkov, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). “Although we are thankful that our staff are all safe and accounted for, we are concerned about the lack of communication, as both electrical power and phone networks are not functioning.”
This made it “even more difficult for our staff to work and deliver humanitarian assistance”, Mr. Cheshirkov explained.
“We call for calm and restraint and appeal to all parties to the conflict to abide by international law to protect civilians, including people who have been displaced and to ensure that humanitarian workers can continue to exercise their duties and reach as many people as they can…in need of vital assistance right now.”
Reinforcing security: WHO
Echoing those concerns, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that the UN agency was “taking measures to reinforce the security and wellbeing of our staff, but at the same time we are continuing to deliver activities where it is possible to do so”.
This includes camps for internally displaced people, access to essential health care and increasing the number of mobile health clinics operating in hard-to-access communities.
“We are obviously concerned about (the) potential for cholera, measles and malaria outbreaks in the region”, the WHO spokesperson said. “In addition, the Tigray region is also located in the meningitis belt and it is at risk of yellow fever outbreaks.”
After eight months of conflict between Ethiopian Government troops and those loyal to the dominant regional force, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), hospitals “are barely functioning”, people continue to be displaced and famine is “looming”, Mr. Jasarevic insisted.
There is also a serious danger of communicable and vaccine-preventable diseases spreading owing to a lack of food, clean water, safe shelter and access to health care. This risk is “very real”, the WHO official said. “All these factors combine &#8211; are literally a recipe &#8211; for larger epidemics.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Hospitals barely functioning, famine still looming in Ethiopia’s Tigray region

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A new World Bank report urges South Sudan to adjust public policies to support jobs, and calls for targeted donor investments to spur economic recovery.

The synthesis report, Jobs, Recovery and Peacebuilding in Urban South Sudan, shows how to support jobs and promote the extraordinary resilience of South Sudanese workers and businesses. It focuses on the self-employed and household business activities in agriculture and services that provide most jobs.
Poverty is pervasive, and the path to recovery remains difficult. The report found that nearly half of urban households have lost job activities to conflict and shocks, and in 2019, only two businesses out of 4,000 interviewed said that conflict had not affected them. Workers who run their own small activities, market traders, and businesses agree that poor access to funding, low consumer demand, and bad and dangerous roads are the principal problems that make it hard to make a living.
Yet, there are also opportunities for recovery. Thus, local crops still compete with imports in the markets, and  that with the right support, farmers and traders could take more to market. Young workers have a more positive attitude toward available jobs than is often claimed. And while macroeconomic reform will take time, gradual improvements make a real difference. For instance, while elevated inflation in 2019 was a burden on workers and businesses, it did not have the same oppressive impact as the extremely high rates in earlier years.
“Agriculture is a big employer in towns, with high potential for more productivity and for linkages up and down the value chain – jobs like making tools, transporting goods, and processing crops. Providing inputs remains relevant to restoring production. As stability progresses, cash grants for farmers and processors make sense. Farmer cooperatives are potential partners, and aggregators deserve attention because they can re-link markets,” said Husam Abudagga, World Bank Country Manager for South Sudan.
The study pinpoints effective first steps to help recovery. Firstly, security must continue to improve. Secondly, among public policy actions, oil revenue must be better managed, and inflation kept in check. Efforts to reduce public salary arrears must progress to help market demand recover, and fees in markets and check points should decrease. Thirdly, donor investment in early recovery should offer some short-term employment, prioritize rural-urban feeder roads, provide cash support to household business activities, and seek to revive market demand and aggregator networks.
“Jobs are crucial in any peacebuilding process, and we can and need to do more to support them. Foreign investment will take time to recover. But smart investments by the Government and development partners can crowd-in small investments from households and small businesses. I am thinking about rural feeder roads and cash grants to restart and grow those household activities that account for so many of the jobs in South Sudan. At the same time, a sustainable recovery has to rest on security, and robust economic reforms, so that resources can be better deployed to build a new diversified economy,” Abuddaga said.
The synthesis report is published alongside four technical studies on jobs and draws on six different datasets and interviews with youth, farmers, and traders.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

World Bank Calls for South Sudanese Government, Donor Investment to Support Jobs, Peacebuilding

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Carbon (ng.getCarbon.co), a pan-African fintech company providing access to basic financial services for Africans, has today announced a strategic five-year partnership with Visa, the world leader in digital payments, to offer both digital and physical issuance of Visa cards to its customers.

Carbon is launching Visa debit cards in the third quarter of 2021, roughly a year after shifting from being a leading digital lending company to becoming a digital bank offering a range of financial services including, savings and payments. By leveraging Visa&#39;s payment functionalities, Carbon will deploy an instant issuance process in three key markets including Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.

The collaboration between both companies includes financial support from Visa and will be spread over the five-year partnership period. The funds will be used to provide implementation and marketing support to help drive further growth and adoption of Visa’s payment solutions across Carbon’s products.

“Carbon is focused on delivering an unparalleled banking experience that is both safe and reliable across all touchpoints,” said Chijioke Dozie, CEO/Co-founder of Carbon. “We want more customers to enjoy some of our popular products like Carbon Zero through their Carbon card, and key to achieving this is our partnership with a leading payments and fintech-friendly company like Visa.”

With the arrival of debit cards, Carbon is building on its fast-growing user base of over 650,000 customers and a strong 2020 fiscal year which saw the company process ₦96.54 billion (~$241.35 million) in payments and ₦25.21 billion (~$63 million) in loan disbursements, eclipsing the previous year’s numbers despite the pandemic.

“The rapid pace of technology innovation has driven a powerful shift in business and consumer expectations in finance,” said Kemi Okusanya, Vice President, Visa West Africa. “Whether it is changing the way people invest, manage money, receive loans, or send real-time payments to friends and family, Visa is a natural partner for fintechs including Carbon, providing them with new ways to reach their customers through Visa’s vast network and global scale.”

Adding Visa cards to its payments stack will also enable easier access to Carbon Zero, the company’s Buy Now Pay Later product, which allows consumers zero percent financing on items they need the most but cannot afford immediately.

The partnership with Visa will undoubtedly go a long way in consolidating Carbon’s first-rate digital bank status and facilitate a robust payment experience for consumers across different demographics with unique financial needs.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Carbon.

Carbon teams up with Visa to enable payments across Africa

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The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), the Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Export-Import Bank of Korea have signed an agreement, under which Korea will provide $600 million in co-financing for energy projects alongside the African Development Bank.

The Korea-Africa Energy Investment Framework (KAEIF) pact follows the signing on 28 May 2021 of a General Cooperation Agreement between the Bank and the Korean government. The KAEIF has a particular focus on renewable energy solutions in Africa, including generation, transmission, distribution, off-grid- and mini-grid, policy&#038;regulatory reform, energy efficiency and clean cooking projects.
“The KAEIF demonstrates the close cooperation between the African Development Bank and the Republic of Korea on the development of Africa’s energy sector. KAEIF will provide much needed additional funding, to supplement the Bank’s financing, to support accelerated energy access and the continent’s just transition to clean energy,” said Dr. Kevin Kariuki, the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth.
The Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance stressed that &#8220;similar to how the Korean Government prioritized the Green New Deal as its latest growth engine in the post COVID-19 landscape, the Facility is expected to help African countries transition to green energy while simultaneously improving access to energy.&#8221;
KAEIF funds will also support project preparation, capacity building and knowledge-sharing activities through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund. Korea joined the African Development Fund and the Bank’s Capital in 1980 and 1982, respectively. In 2013, the Korean government set up KOAFEC as a conduit for contributions to multi-donor and special funds managed by the Bank.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media Contact: Olufemi Terry Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: o.terry@afdb.org
Technical Contact: Daniel Schroth Acting Director of the Renewable Energy Department African Development Bank

Korea to channel $600 million into energy investments alongside the African Development Bank

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MyOffice (www.MyOffice.ru/en), the Russian developer of office software for collaborative document processing and communication, has announced a milestone agreement with the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training of the Republic of Djibouti. The agreement calls for 100,000 Russian software licenses to be supplied to state and municipal schools, kindergartens, colleges, and vocational training institutions in Djibouti. The agreement is between Djibouti&#39;s Minister of National Education and Vocational Training, His Excellency Mr Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, and the Russian software vendor INDEPENDENCE.DIGITAL, MyOffice distribution partner in Africa.

The parties have agreed that, in addition to the licenses, INDEPENDENCE.DIGITAL will provide advisory services in office software and secure document and user data management technology. The Republic of Djibouti will also get early access to new solutions and assistance with local specialist training in the use and administration of MyOffice products.

The five-year agreement binds the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training of the Republic of Djibouti to engage MyOffce as a consultant in the early planning stages when Djibouti commences to develop its own electronic document management systems. MyOffice is furthermore entitled to enter in the bidding as an IT solution vendor when Djibouti holds tenders to digitize its public administration processes.

“MyOffice educational products fully satisfy our software requirements for the education system of Djibouti. They are universal, designed for use on any computers or mobile gadgets, and offer all the tools necessary to process files in a text or spreadsheet form. With their intuitive interface and easy to learn functionality, MyOffice products will help upgrade the teaching of basic digital literacy and computing skills in our schools,” said the Minister of National Education and Vocational Training, His Excellency Mr Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud.

“The agreement to supply MyOffice software licenses to educational institutions in Djibouti represents an important milestone in bolstering trade and economic cooperation between our countries. We see great demand for Russian IT products on the African continent today. The governments of the African nations are making a strong effort to integrate state-of-the-art technology into their public administration practice, and they make sure the software products they build into their IT systems are safe and secure. Africa&#39;s primary focus at this time includes data security and private clouds, which can be rolled out nationwide via data centers,” stated MyOffice CEO Dmitry Komissarov.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MyOffice.
About MyOffice: MyOffice is a Russian IT company that develops secure office solutions for document collaboration and communication. The MyOffice platform includes a complete set of essential desktop, mobile, and web applications for communication and document processing on PC, tablet, or smartphone anywhere in the world. MyOffice solutions ensure complete data control, meet the industry&#39;s security standards, are suited both for organizations of any size and for home use and are available in 13 languages. MyOffice has been developing high-tech products since 2013. Over 300 major organizations and government agencies in Russia already use MyOffice solutions, including Russian Post, Federal Tax Service, National Guard, Russian Railways, Office of the President, Rosatom, Gazprom, Aeroflot, and TASS, to name only a few. Many educational institutions across Russia have also chosen to use MyOffice products. The company&#39;s partner network lists over 1500 authorized partners in all regions around Russia and abroad. All MyOffice solutions are on the Domestic Software List and fully comply with Russian laws.

Djibouti Schools to Get 100,000 MyOffice Licenses

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Global Program Created by UN Women, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), Government of France, and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court; UNITLIFE Leverages Innovative Finance and Partnerships to Protect the Next Generation from Chronic Malnutrition; The Condition Currently Effects 149 Million Children Worldwide, Limiting Future Growth and Potential; The COVID-19 Pandemic Predicted to Cause Widespread Increases in Malnutrition Due to Disruptions in Food, Health and Social Protection Systems.

UNITLIFE, the United Nations trust fund dedicated to preventing chronic malnutrition, was officially launched yesterday on the sidelines of the Generation Equality Forum. The announcement was made at a virtual event co-hosted by Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France and H. E. Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates.
Despite affecting 149 million children globally, chronic malnutrition lacks both widespread attention and adequate investment. Through innovative finance and partnerships, UNITLIFE seeks to close that investment gap to finance nutritious food systems and climate-smart agriculture, while empowering women and increasing their awareness about the vital importance of good nutrition for their children.
UNITLIFE was created by UN Women, the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Government of France, and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, which provided $2.5 million USD of funding through Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), a portfolio of global health programs working towards disease elimination that is driven by the personal commitment of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
In his opening remarks Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “Food insecurity and malnutrition remain one of the greatest challenges of our century. While historic progress has been made, we unfortunately know that they remain insufficient.’’
“As you know France is taking determined action to reduce this scourge by focusing a significant portion of its efforts on pregnant or breastfeeding women or infants during the crucial 1000-day period surrounding the birth of a child,” continued Minister Le Drian. And to conclude: “We are therefore very proud to be a permanent member of UNITLIFE with, among other, UN Women, which contributed to the creation of this initiative with the support of UN Capital Development Fund. I would also like to hail the support of the United Arab Emirates’ continued support, a very decisive support in the development of this initiative.”
In her remarks, H. E. Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy said: “I am honored to announce our support of UNITLIFE and the effort to protect millions of children around the globe who are vulnerable to chronic malnutrition. Reflecting the UAE’s decades-long focus on global health, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is committed to creating a healthier future, particularly within the world’s most vulnerable communities.”
Al Hashimy continued: “UNITLIFE’s efforts to fight chronic malnutrition are steeped in innovation and sustainability, approaches that the UAE shares. Our holistic approach to global development reflects an understanding that we can only uplift humanity if we first work to improve health and food systems and their quality.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the need to combat chronic malnutrition even more acute. Disruptions in food, health and social protection systems are expected to result in an additional 2.6 million chronically malnourished children by 2022.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are no longer able to feed their children properly. However, nutrition is the foundation that gives children the best start in life, thereby allowoing them to escape the cycle of poverty or conflict. This is why nutrition directly impacts the achievement of at least 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, ”said Ms. Verburg, Coordinator of the Scalling Up Nutrition Movement and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Since starting operations in February 2021, UNITLIFE has forged several innovative partnerships. Most notably, the organization has partnered with Ecobank Group, the Pan-African banking institution. During his speech, Mr. Ayeyemi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ecobank Group explained why private sector actors should engage with UNITLIFE: “The private sector cannot stand aside, on the contrary, we should be the cornerstone of the development of our societies in Africa. With technology and our platforms, we can give our customers the opportunity to contribute to the fight against chronic malnutrition. We can achieve this only if we act collectively.”
Closing the event, Philippe Douste-Blazy, UNITLIFE Chair and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, France reminded the audience of the urgency of acting immediately: “We are on the eve of the Generation Equality Forum, 3 months from the UN Food Systems Summit, and 6 months from the Nutrition 4 Growth summit. It is the right time to galvanize our efforts.”
The virtual event featured a high-level panel attended by Gerda Verburg (Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and United Nations Assistant Secretary General); Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (Executive Director, UN Women); Tala Ismail Al Ramahi (Associate Director, Office of Strategic Affairs, Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi); Ade Ayeyemi (Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group) and Preeti Sinha (Executive Secretary, UNCDF).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank.
Media Contact: Elisa Desbordes-Cissé Communications and Advocacy Specialist UNITLIFE elisa.desbordes-cisse@uncdf.org
About chronic malnutrition: Chronic malnutrition is a disease that develops when children do not receive the nutrients they need during the first 1,000 days of life (through a women’s pregnancy until the child’s second birthday). The consequences of chronic malnutrition – stunted growth, impaired brain development, and a weakened immune system &#8211; are largely irreversible, preventing affected children from reaching their full potential. Today, 1 in 5 children worldwide are chronically malnourished. Compared to their peers, chronically malnourished children struggle to do as well in school and on average earn 20% less as adults. The presence of chronic malnutrition is not only a human tragedy, but also an enormous obstacle to countries’ economic development. In Africa, where chronic malnutrition affects 1 in every 3 children, the cost of undernutrition in some countries is estimated to be up to 16% of GDP. Despite affecting 149 million children worldwide, chronic malnutrition lacks public awareness.
About UNITLIFE: UNITLIFE is a global initiative solving the challenge of inequality from birth. UNITLIFE was established by UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and UN Women. UNITLIFE creates a community of companies and individuals who care about fighting malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. Our goal is to protect the future of mothers and children. UNITLIFE finances nutritious food systems and invests in women’s empowerment, and climate-smart agriculture.
For further information, please visit: www.UNITLIFE.org
About the Generation Equality Forum: The Generation Equality Forum is a global gathering for gender equality convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, in partnership with youth and civil society. The Forum kicked off in Mexico City in March and will culminate in Paris from 30 June to 2 July 2021, launching a series of concrete, ambitious and transformative actions to achieve immediate and irreversible progress towards gender equality.
Over 25 years after the landmark Beijing Women’s Conference public rhetoric on gender equality has not been matched by action and implementation. Not a single country today can claim to have achieved gender equality. The Forum therefore represents a key moment for gender equality advocates from every sector of society – governments, civil society, private sector, entrepreneurs, trade unions, artists, academia and social influencers – to drive urgent action and accountability for gender equality.
For further information, please visit: https://Forum.GenerationEquality.org/
About Reaching the Last Mile: Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) is a portfolio of global health programs working towards disease elimination that is driven by the personal commitment of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The Initiative provides treatment and preventative care in communities that lack access to quality health services, with a specific focus on reaching the last mile of disease elimination. RLM’s mission represents His Highness’s dedication to ending preventable diseases that affect the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities and helping millions of children and adults live healthy, dignified lives. 
For further information, please visit: www.ReachingtheLastMile.com/ @RLMGlobalHealth
About Scalling Up Nutrition Movement: Since 2010, the SUN Movement has inspired a new way of working collaboratively to end malnutrition, in all its forms. With the governments of SUN Countries in the lead, it unites people—from civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers—in a collective effort to improve nutrition. The SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) has helped illuminate the importance of nutrition as a universal agenda – and one which is integral to achieving the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To realise the vision of a world without hunger and malnutrition, the SUN Movement Principles of Engagement guide actors as they work in a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder space to effectively working together to end malnutrition, in all its forms. These principles ensure that the Movement is flexible while maintaining a common purpose and mutual accountability.
For further information, please visit: https://ScalingupNutrition.org/
About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’ or ‘The Group’): Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 14,000 people and serves over 29 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan.
For further information, please visit: www.Ecobank.com

UNITLIFE, A United Nations Trust Fund to Prevent Chronic Malnutrition, Marks Official Launch

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The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved $130 million additional financing for the Kenya COVID-19 Health Emergency Response Project to facilitate affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for Kenyans.

This additional financing will enable Kenya to procure more vaccines via the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) initiative and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facilities. It will also support the deployment of those vaccines by boosting Kenya’s cold chain storage capacity—including establishing 25 county vaccine stores, strengthening the capacity of 36 sub-county stores, and equipping 1,177 health facilities with vaccine storage equipment.
“This additional financing comes at a critical time when the Government of Kenya is making concerted efforts to contain the rising cases of COVID-19 infections and accelerate the deployment of vaccines to a wider population,” said Keith Hansen, World Bank Country Director for Kenya. “The upfront financing for the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines will enable the government to expand access to more Kenyans free of cost.”
Other activities that will be funded include vaccine safety surveillance, training for health workers, and advocacy and communications activities to encourage COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
“With the increased support for a rapid COVID-19 response, the World Bank is offering the government a flexible approach to select a portfolio of vaccines that best suits local capacities, timings of delivery, and vaccine approvals,” said Jane Chuma, World Bank Senior Health Economist.
This is the second additional financing for the Kenya COVID-19 Health Emergency Response Project. Together with the $10 million triggered under the Contingency Emergency Response Component of the Transforming Health Systems for Universal Care Project, the World Bank’s contributions to Kenya’s COVID-19 response total $246 million.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank Group has committed over $125 billion worldwide to fight the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic, the fastest and largest crisis response in its history. The financing is helping more than 100 countries strengthen pandemic preparedness, protect the poor and jobs, and jump start a climate-friendly recovery. The World Bank is also providing $12 billion to help low- and middle-income countries purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Kenya Secures $130 Million for COVID-19 Vaccines

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A study conducted by Genesis Analytics in eight African countries &#8211; Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, the DRC, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, and Kenya &#8211; reveals that social media platforms help accelerate economic growth and opportunity across the continent.

Download Infographic: https://bit.ly/35X2iIN
The African continent is heavily reliant on its small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of the economy. As many countries across the continent have embarked on their digital transformation, the research shows that digital platforms can play a key role in the continent&#39;s development.
According to the results of the study conducted by Genesis Analysis, SMBs are the vehicle to achieve youth employment, gender parity and intra-regional trade in Africa. The report shows that surveyed SMBs that use the Facebook apps have younger employees with an average share of 45% of employees under 30. Additionally, SMBs using Facebook apps reported a higher frequency of being owned by women, while SMBs in the manufacturing sector ranked the ability to access new foreign markets as the most beneficial advantage of the apps.
Commenting on the report, Kojo Boakye, Director of Africa Public Policy at Facebook said: “84% of surveyed SMBs reported that Facebook apps have been important for their business growth. This reinforces our commitment to providing the access and skills that help people use Facebook apps to increase employment opportunities, incomes, gender equity, and trade.”
Ryan Short, Partner at Genesis Analytics added: “The Genesis Analytics study shines a much-needed light on how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) on the continent are embracing digital tools and platforms. It shows empirically that the use of digital tools can drive economic growth by bringing more women into the formal economy; creating economic opportunity for young people; and boosting intra-African trade. We urge policymakers and digital platforms alike to understand these opportunities and to create an optimal environment for SMBs to thrive using digital tools and social media.”
The report also identified the barriers that policymakers may need to further focus on to increase the adoption and drive significant growth, with expensive internet and data costs and low levels of trust in data privacy being barriers to greater uptake. Resolving these challenges will take close cooperation between governments and private companies to foster a digital environment that can power small businesses to unlock Africa’s rich opportunities.
 	Access the full report here (https://bit.ly/2Ucaxy1). 	Download the media kit here (https://bit.ly/361NcBz) [Infographic report and Country one-pagers]. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Facebook.
Media Contact: Idea Engineers PR agency for Facebook Africa facebookfr@ideaengineers.co.za or pressfrancophoneafrica@fb.com

Social media adoption helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to power Africa’s economic growth

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Over 100,000 children residing in Somalia’s most educationally disadvantaged areas will benefit from a World Bank financed education project that aims to increase access to primary education in underserved areas, particularly for girls.

This is the first World Bank financed investment in Somalia’s education sector in 30 years. To mark this critical milestone, the Federal Government of Somalia and the World Bank today signed the agreement for the $40 million Somalia Education for Human Capital Development Project to support Somalia rebuild its education system and get its children back to learning. The project will directly address constraints to girls’ enrolment by reducing distance to school, providing safe and conducive learning environments, recruiting female teachers and building a mindset of inclusion in the school and community.
“Investing in Somalia’s children is the most important investment that can be made to help the country return to prosperity,” said World Bank Country Manager, Kristina Svensson. “Ensuring that girls are empowered through education is at the center of building a more just, economically strong, politically stable, and peaceful country.”
Somalia’s education system was destroyed over years of conflict resulting in only 20%of its children accessing primary education. With 75%of the population under the age of 30, low educational attainment constrains future economic growth and poverty reduction and puts youth at risk. Girls have been especially disadvantaged with more than 72%of women in rural areas of Somalia having never attended school.
The project focuses on rapidly expanding access to education while strengthening public institutions that can contribute to the state building efforts of the country through basic service delivery to its citizens and addressing the drivers of fragility. It will support the government in developing and operationalizing fundamental elements of a functional education system, including a national student learning assessment.
“Education is a powerful means of socialization and identity development through the transmission of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes across generations which can contribute to breaking the cycle of violence and fragility,” said World Bank Senior Education Specialist, Huma Waheed.
Less than 40% of the country’s teachers are qualified to teach. To ensure high quality instruction takes place in Somalia’s classrooms, the project will develop a Teacher Professional Development Program to support 6,000 teachers improve instruction using digital technology. The initiative will take advantage of high connectivity in the country to provide digital devices and content to ensure that teachers can continue to teach and build their capacity, and that children can continue to learn even during times of pandemics and other shocks in the future.
With IDA support, Somalia is increasing its investments in human capital development which will be essential for the country to move out of a cycle of violence, instability and vulnerability.
*The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 76 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.6 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $21 billion over the last three years, with about 61 percent going to Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

Girls in Somalia to Benefit from Enhanced Access to Education

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A webinar was held today jointly by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.org) and Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA), in collaboration with Da Afghanistan Bank (Central Bank). The webinar was organized with the support of the Islamic Development Bank Group Business Forum “THIQAH” (a function under the umbrella of ICD), with the theme “The Transformation of the Islamic Finance Industry in Afghanistan”. The event was attended by many delegates from the Central Bank, government entities and Islamic and conventional banks in the country.

The event was officiated by Mr. Ahmed A Khalid, Regional Head &#8211; Asia, ICD and followed by the welcoming remarks from Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Saleem, Director General, Islamic Banking and Financial Services Department of Da Afghanistan Bank and Mr. Najibullah Amiri, Executive Director, Afghanistan Banks Association.

The webinar aims to support the Central Bank of Afghanistan’s initiatives on the transformation of the Islamic finance industry in the country by showcasing ICD’s products and services  available for banks and non-banks financial institutions in Afghanistan. The webinar provided a platform for constructive and fruitful dialogue between the various constituencies and addressed topics of common interest to identify concrete ways and effective solutions to support the development of Islamic finance in the country.

As a member state of ICD, Afghanistan views Islamic finance as a mean to stimulate growth in key economic sectors, as well as a gateway for the country to build stronger ties in trade and investment with other member countries of ICD.

“Moving forward, ICD and ABA with strong support from the Central Bank of Afghanistan will continue to work closely to heighten awareness and understanding of the Shari’ah system for the banking sector, and iron out issues which may arise. To date, ICD has extensive experience in providing financial advisory and sound technical solutions to banks and non-banking financial institutions interested in converting to Shariah-compliant outfits. We believe that our support, in addition to the clarity in the government regulations, will further develop the Islamic banking industry in Afghanistan and subsequently, attract overseas investors from ICD’s member countries,” said Mr Ayman Sejiny, the CEO of ICD.

Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Saleem, Director General of the Islamic Banking and Financial Services Department at the Central Bank of Afghanistan stated that, &#8220;One of our responsibilities is to develop the Islamic banking industry in Afghanistan, as it is still far from its potential. This webinar is a platform for us to give detailed explanations on the support and role of the Central Bank and ICD to the financial institutions to further develop their Shari’ah compliant business. We hope this webinar has provided valuable insight to delegates and sparked interest among the country’s private sector players to consider transitioning into Shariah-compliant outfits to leverage on the ICD’s Line of Finance that can support many private enterprises in the country.”

Mr. Najibullah Amiri, Executive Director, Afghanistan Banks Association stated that &#8220;I am confident that ICD-IDB, ABA and DAB close coordination&#038;cooperation in the banking sector, particularly Islamic banking, is direly needed just because that Afghanistan&#39;s people are staunch Muslims and are desperate to implement Shariah based banking practices.”

Through this webinar, ICD and ABA aimed to impart the know-how related to the implementation of Shari’ah standards and the conversion of banks which already have Islamic units to become full-fledged Islamic banks. It is worth mentioning that ICD has successfully completed several conversions in CIS countries, such as Uzbekistan and others along with opening of Islamic windows for several conventional Banks. ICD also established an Islamic window for Afriland First Bank in Cameroon as a transitory step toward full conversion.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD).
About the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD): The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) is a multilateral development financial institution and is a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. ICD was established in November 1999 to support the economic development of its member countries through the provision of finance for private sector projects, promoting competition and entrepreneurship, providing advisory services to the governments and private companies, and encouraging cross border investments. 
ICD is Rated A2’ by Moody’s, ‘A-’ by S&#038;P and, A+ by Fitch. ICD establishes and strengthens cooperation and partnership relationships with an aim to establish joint or collective financing. ICD also applies financial technology (Fintech) to make financing more efficient and comprehensive. For more information, visit: www.ICD-ps.org.
About Da Afghanistan Bank (Central Bank, DAB): Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) is the Central Bank of Afghanistan which was established in 1939 to regulate all banking and money handling operations in Afghanistan. DAB is also active in developing policies to promote financial inclusion and a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. The bank currently has 46 branches throughout the country, with five of these situated in Kabul, where the headquarters is also based. For more information about DAB, visit www.DAB.gov.af.
About Afghanistan Banks Association: Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA) is a non-political, non-government, not for profit, and independent association established in September 2004 to meet the needs of growing banking sector as a united body representing all banks to serve as their voice in dialogues with the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the Government and other stakeholders. ABA was initially founded by 9 licensed banks, but membership has since grown to include 12 duly licensed banks. ABA strives to promote a strong, healthy and competitive banking industry in Afghanistan, and it represents the common interests of Afghanistan banking sector. ABA is funded primarily by its member banks but is empowered to generate its own revenues and to accept donor funding. For more information about ABA, visit www.ABA.org.af.

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Da Afghanistan Bank and Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA) Support in Transforming the Islamic Finance Industry in Afghanistan

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Cellulant (www.Cellulant.io), a leading Pan-African payments company,  unveils its new brand identity and affirms its commitment to partner with global, regional and local businesses to accelerate Payments’ digitisation across Africa.

Over the last couple of years, Cellulant has evolved to become more than just a business but an idea and belief that Africa should build Africa’s future.
“Refreshing our brand identity is both an acknowledgement of a new chapter as a business but also an affirmation that our mission and commitment to Africa still stands. Cellulant continues to be shaped by a belief that the success of people and businesses in Africa is the foundation of transforming the continent. This belief has seen us scale across multiple countries, evolve and innovate around the solutions we offer to the market and build a great digital payments ecosystem serving millions of Africa,” states Divine Muragijimana, Cellulant’s Head of Brand. 
Cellulant believes that solving for the payments sector is not a novelty in Africa. Digital payments pose the most significant opportunity to bringing fundamental transformation for African economies at large. Only 38% of Africa’s 1.2 Billion population will have a bank account by 2022, and cash still commands 90% of all transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a shift towards digital payments driven by businesses’ need to stabilize their revenues and increased preference by consumers to use contactless payment solutions.
To respond to the emerging need for cashless payments, Cellulant is accelerating digital payments adoption by connecting digital money capabilities with the need for businesses to receive broader payment options and offer sophisticated payments experiences to their consumers.
“Over the years, we have learned that it is no longer a question whether digital payments will become ubiquitous across Africa but rather, how fast we can accelerate the adoption of local payment options. Therefore, by unifying the payment experiences for both businesses and their consumers, we can unlock hundreds of millions of consumers and allow them to transact digitally in their local context. We do this by removing layers of complexity to an already complex financial system- simplifying the way people pay and get paid,” said Akshay Grover, Cellulant’s acting Group CEO.
Cellulant has partnerships with global payments service provider such as Adyen, PayU and Smart2Pay; powers payments for global and regional businesses in several sectors such as Emirates, KLM, Ethiopia Airlines, Kenya Airways, Microsoft, Deezer, Bolt, Jumia, Kikuu, Glovo, Simbisa, Multichoice; and thousands of local businesses across Africa.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cellulant.
Media contact: Andrew Lala 234 708 517 5379 media@cellulant.io
About Cellulant: Cellulant is a leading Pan-African financial technology company providing a one-stop digital payments platform. Cellulant uses technology to connect people and their resources, making it easier to do business across Africa.
Cellulant provides a single digital payments platform &#8211; named Tingg- addressing the complex payments needs of businesses. Tingg makes it easy to collect and make payments across multiple payment methods in different currencies, with the best customer experience for any business looking to digitise their payments. 
Today, Cellulant has an office presence in 18 African countries with a payments platform connecting thousands of businesses with 154 payment options across 35 countries. The platform powers payments for 220M consumers on a single inclusive network allowing for interoperability across Africa.
For more information, visit www.Cellulant.io

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UNITLIFE, A United Nations Trust Fund to Prevent Chronic Malnutrition, Marks Official Launch

Kenya Secures $130 Million for COVID-19 Vaccines

Social media adoption helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to power Africa’s economic growth

Girls in Somalia to Benefit from Enhanced Access to Education

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Da Afghanistan Bank and Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA) Support in Transforming the Islamic Finance Industry in Afghanistan

Acceleration of Digitization of Payments For Businesses Promises a More Connected Africa

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APO

CR2 Market Insight: African Banking and Payments Trends

Mali: Rampant impunity for human rights violations poses grave risk for protection of civilians- Bachelet

Eswatini: Right to protest must be respected

Ethiopia: As Mekelle changes hands, civilians remain in urgent need of protection

Walscheid 16th in Tour de France stage 4 sprint finish

Malian authorities urged to ‘break the cycle of impunity’ for human rights violations

Hospitals barely functioning, famine still looming in Ethiopia’s Tigray region

World Bank Calls for South Sudanese Government, Donor Investment to Support Jobs, Peacebuilding

Carbon teams up with Visa to enable payments across Africa

Korea to channel $600 million into energy investments alongside the African Development Bank

Djibouti Schools to Get 100,000 MyOffice Licenses

UNITLIFE, A United Nations Trust Fund to Prevent Chronic Malnutrition, Marks Official Launch

Kenya Secures $130 Million for COVID-19 Vaccines

Social media adoption helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to power Africa’s economic growth

Girls in Somalia to Benefit from Enhanced Access to Education

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Da Afghanistan Bank and Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA) Support in Transforming the Islamic Finance Industry in Afghanistan

Acceleration of Digitization of Payments For Businesses Promises a More Connected Africa

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Advertise With Us

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