Given the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Africa with over 1,800 confirmed cases, the proliferation and adoption of mobile money services serves as an unintended boon for containing the pandemic, particularly in the cash-reliant, informal sectors which dominate most African economies. With social distancing policies seen as a vital to curbing the outbreak’s spread, the use of mobile money services can reduce the need to exchange cash notes and close personal contact—an obvious way through which the virus can be transmitted especially in Africa’s densely populated urban centers. While East Africa, home to Safaricom’s famed M-Pesa service, still remains the top grossing region for volume and value of mobile money transactions across Sub Saharan Africa, mobile money growth is starting to boom in West Africa thanks to growth in Ghana and francophone West Africa.
SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA
More Stories
Nigerian Granny on Carpool Duty Lands a Role with Beyoncé
A Baseline Study for African Jellyfish Species
Praia Deports Wanted Colombian Official
How Public Housing Plans Fuel Tensions in Addis Ababa
EJS Joins Calls for Zimbabwe’s Rights Issues
An Update of Africa’s Battle with Coronavirus
Destabilising Libya: A Cause for Concern
Africa’s Second-largest Bridge Closed for Repairs
Talks Around the GERD Stall Again
Somali Doctor and Human Rights Activist Hawa Abdi has Died
A Home for Africa’s Rising Musicians
Nollywood Featuring Bollywood in a Cultural Tag Team