Over the course of history, humans have been trading goods and services using different means. All these means have something in common – the agreement of their value, and thus their use in operations. One example of an ancient form of human exchange was witnessed in Micronesia where they used an exchange method called the […]
The Tunisian governments’ former series of fiscal reforms have failed to meet local needs and expectations. However, the new fiscal bill passed in February 2017 sheds light to the outlook of the country’s macro economy by utilizing tax incentives to encourage investment.
Mobile Banking and Why It’s Growing in Africa Mobile banking allows its users to conduct financial transactions through mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets. It is a service offered by banks and other financial institutions that allow users to obtain account balances, pay bills and transfer funds on their mobiles. However, mobile banking […]
The recent surge in public debt in Mozambique has thrust the country into an economic and financial quandary, capturing international media attention and impacting both public and private sectors significantly. At the center of the storm are loans contracted by three state companies: Ematum: USD 850 million debt contracted in 2013 for purchasing of 24 […]
On Tuesday 19th of April, Egyptian media announced that the US Dollar exchange rate exceeded 11 EGP in the black market; a news that caused unprecedented panic across all sectors of the Egyptian society. On the other side, Tarek Amer, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), has denied any intention of devaluing the […]
This article will present the key findings of 2015 report about “Illicit financial integrity” prepared by Global Financial Integrity (GFI) -a non-profit, Washington, DC-based research and advisory organization, which produces high-caliber analyses of illicit financial flows, advises developing country governments on effective policy solutions, and promotes pragmatic transparency measures in the international financial system as […]
Mobile Insurance meets with great success in several African insurance Markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and even Tanzania. This success helps boosting the insurance penetration rates in several African countries generally under 3% which is still low compared with the worldwide penetration rate of 6.5%.
For many decades, Africa was celebrated for its oil & gas and mineral riches, a trend that persists into the 21st century. However, this is not the sole narrative shaping the continent’s future. The rise of the middle class, increasing from 26.2% in the ’80s to 34.3% in 2010, has significantly fueled internal consumption and […]
The financial sector is struggling to develop in Africa. Basically, this is due to the low purchasing power of Africans to afford insurance or to deposit and save their money in bank accounts. A large part of Africa’s population is still excluded from the financial system. For instance, the banking penetration rate is 23% in […]
The Kenyan banking sector is composed of 52 institutions, including 43 commercial banks, 1 mortgage finance company and 8 deposit-taking microfinance institutions. The sector is dominated by multinational banks (such as Standard Chartered, Barclays, etc.) and Pan-African groups (such as KCB, Equity Bank, etc.). As of December 31st, 2010, the country included 1,063 bank branches […]
