Tag Archives: payments

The hidden cost of doing business #informaleconomy

By Niti Bhan | Published: February 4, 2016

This looks like its a low cost business operation with low barriers to entry. All you need to do is find a decent tree under which to display your wares. The reality is that these entrepreneurs have numerous fees and costs that they must pay in order to do business, regardless of how informal it […]

Posted in Africa, African Consumer Market, Assumption filter, Base of the Pyramid, Business Models, Economy, Expenses, FMCG, Kenya, Mama Biashara, Marketing, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Research, Retail in Africa, Risk, rural, Sub Saharan Africa, User research | Also tagged cash, cost of doing business, income, informal economy, informal retail, informal trade | Leave a comment

Cross-border mobile financial services in Africa are going to be huge

By Niti Bhan | Published: December 22, 2015

Analysis Mason has an excellent article on the next big thing in mobile money across the African continent – cross border payments. I covered the emergence of these services, through regional operators as well as partnerships based on interoperability earlier. This is what I asked for: Mapping it all I’d love it if someone could […]

Posted in African Consumer Market, Afrique francophone, Airtime, Alternative currency, Business Models, Cashless transactions, Commerce en ligne (e-commerce), Consommateurs, Consumer Behaviour, Economy, Flexibility, Marchés africains, Marketing, Migrant worker, Mobile platform, Perspective, Platforms, Prepaid Economy & Informal Sector, Research, Retail in Africa, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Systems, Technologie, Technology, UEMOA | Also tagged africa, cross border mobile financial services, cross border trade, informal economy, informal trade, interoperability, mobile, mobile futures, mobile money | Leave a comment

Uber’s problems with women’s safety in India – my 2 rupees worth

By Niti Bhan | Published: May 23, 2015

In its mindless rush for scale, Uber leapt into the Indian market with their “hassle-free” service of hailing a car with a push of a button on your smartphone. I call this mindless because “will it scale” is an unquestioned imperative for a startup, not something that is thought through. Nobody asks should it scale, […]

Posted in Alternative currency, Assumption filter, Business Models, Cashless transactions, China, Consumer Behaviour, Culture, Design, Ecosystem, Emerging Markets, Flexibility, global, India, Innovation Planning, Kenya, Marketing, Mobile platform, Nigeria, Perspective, South Asia, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Systems, Technology, urban, User research | Also tagged business model design, cash transactions, india, safety, service design, uber, women | Leave a comment