GSMA Report: 'Mobile Money Continues to Positively Impact the Lives and Livelihoods of Millions, but There Is a Need for Greater Digital Financial Literacy'

As I was preparing for a phone call with a gentleman who has an idea of creating a service that will allow people in Africa to transfer funds, I found a report entitled State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2025 (SOITR), which finds transaction volumes and values for mobile money accounts experienced robust double-digit growth in 2024. Prepared by the GSMA Mobile Money program, which works to advance the mobile money ecosystem for communities worldwide that lack access to more traditional banking services, the report also points out that approximately 108 billion transactions, totaling over $1.68 trillion, were processed through mobile money accounts in 2024. Year-on-year, transaction volumes increased by 20%, while transaction values grew by 16%, up from a 13% increase in 2023.

The report provides a quantitative assessment of the state of the mobile money industry based on GSMA data from the Mobile Money Deployment Tracker, the 2024 Global Adoption Survey on Mobile Money and Mobile Money Estimates and Forecasts. This supply-side data is further enhanced with nationally representative quantitative primary research from the 2024 GSMA Consumer Survey of seven low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The report's key findings include:

• In 2024, the mobile money industry achieved two major milestones: these were over two billion registered accounts and more than half a billion monthly active accounts;
• Mobile money continues to contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) in countries with a service;
• Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has contributed to the increased reach of mobile money agent networks worldwide;
• Mobile money offers a viable business case to parent companies, with average revenue per user having grown from $2.86 in 2023 to $3.51 in 2024;
• In 2023, the value of both bill payments and bulk transfers dropped for the first time; in 2024, both use cases saw a significant rebound;
• Several interoperable mobile money use cases saw continued growth in transaction values in 2024;
• The number of mobile money providers offering adjacent services has grown again;
• When comparing different regions, mobile money in East Asia and the Pacific has seen progress over the past few years;
• Many mobile money providers (MMPs) are benefitting from a more enabling regulatory environment in several areas;
• Across 12 countries surveyed (Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda), a gender gap in mobile money account ownership exists in eight countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Senegal); and
• Mobile money continues to positively impact the lives and livelihoods of millions, but there is a need for greater digital financial literacy.

Regarding how mobile money providers are improving customer behavior, the report notes that "MMPs are taking steps to overcome these challenges. Many are investing in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven credit-scoring algorithms to improve their understanding of borrower behavior and tailor repayment options to prevent defaults. In India, Airtel Payments Bank has launched an AI-powered credit scoring system to assess creditworthiness, providing users with personalized financial solutions." What is more, "Such initiatives can gradually improve financial solutions to foster greater inclusion. For instance, AI can be used to generate data on a customer's ability to repay a loan."

With respect to the need for greater digital financial literacy to maximize mobile money's positive impact on the lives of millions of people, the report explains that "[w]hile mobile money serves as an entry point to other services, low digital financial literacy is often a barrier. As a result, around 60% of survey respondents have launched a digital financial literacy policy to increase digital skills and therefore mobile money use over time."

Lastly, on the topic of comparing different emerging and developing markets, the report importantly notes: "In 2024, East Asia and the Pacific had the second fastest growth rate for active monthly accounts behind the Middle East. It is one of the few regions where active 30-day accounts grew faster than registered accounts. Enabling regulation in markets such as Cambodia, Fiji, the Philippines and Vietnam has supported the growth of digital payments."

During my conversation with the young gentleman originally from West Africa who is seeking to develop a money transfer platform for his home market, I referenced the following text provided in the report's Forward authored by GSMA's Director General, Vivek Badrinath: "Today, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of mobile money, accounting for over 1.1 billion registered accounts. However, East Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa will be interesting regions to watch moving forward. Last year, both regions saw considerable growth in the number of mobile money accounts, active users and transaction volumes."

Mr. Badrinath encouragingly adds that "[a]s mobile money continues to drive financial inclusion, it is also unlocking new opportunities for people to save, earn, and spend – solidifying its place as a true fintech success story."

What do you think of the report's findings?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

The Role of Mobile Technology in Driving Digital Transformation of Ethiopia's Economy

"Digitalization of the economy is a key driver of economic growth and government revenue" in Ethiopia, according to a report published by GSMA, a UK-based organization that aims to unify the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. The report adds that digitalization "also supports socio-economic development and offers a path towards shared prosperity. By leveraging digitalization opportunities, the Government of Ethiopia can achieve sustainable economic growth and structural changes."

The report's additional key messages include:

• "Adoption of digital technologies across both public and private sectors can impact on economic growth. It can increase agricultural productivity, improve access to global value chains (GVCs) and increase efficiency of government and public services. Access to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are desirable as drivers of digital and financial inclusion which in turn supports human development."
• "Digitalization, including the telecommunications sector reform program and the introduction of mobile money, is a key part of the Ethiopian government's Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda (HGER) since 2019 and implemented under the 2021-2030 Development Plan, the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, the Communications Service Proclamation No. 1148/2019 and the National Bank of Ethiopia's (NBE) strategic plans.

As explained by the report's authors, "In the five years since the launch of Digital Ethiopia 2025 and the start of the telecommunications reforms, the number of people covered by 3G networks has increased by 50%, while coverage of 4G networks has increased by 8 times. This study identifies further opportunities and quantifies the economic value of adopting digital technologies across Ethiopia's economy. It determines how these opportunities can be unlocked through policy reforms, particularly focusing on the key role that the mobile telecommunications sector and mobile money services plays in supporting the process of digitalization."

Regarding policy recommendations, I concur that "Policy reforms must balance short-term objectives with long-term investment and development to realize the full potential of digital transformation in Ethiopia. Reaping the wide-ranging benefits of digitalization will require bold actions to support demand, reduce the cost of supply and promote a policy environment that supports investment."

What is more, "The economic and social value of digital and emerging technologies relies on mobile networks as the backbone of digitalization of the economy and the mobile sector is best positioned to partner with the government to develop a mission-oriented public policy that can catalyze innovation across multiple sectors in the economy."

The report concludes with the identification of  five areas of policy recommendations that the government, the Ethiopian Communications Authority, NBE, and other relevant authorities could undertake to support the development of the mobile telecommunications sector, mobile money services, and the wider process of digital transformation in Ethiopia:

1. Telecommunications reform implementation: Fair and timely implementation of the telecom reforms agenda to enable Digital Ethiopia transformation and inclusion objectives.
2. Industry sustainability and investment: Support industry sustainability and development through investment and tax incentives, including reduce or remove customs duty and other costs on mobile devices to improve affordability and reduce the usage gap.
3. Licensing, spectrum, and regulatory fees: Ensure affordable and predictable licensing, spectrum, and regulatory fees to encourage investment and densification of existing networks, rollout of new generation networks and improve affordability of services.
4. Mobile money and payments: Discourage distortive taxation on emerging mobile money services, and continue implementing regulatory reforms to enable digital financial strategy and inclusion objectives.
5. Demand-side policies: Support demand by continuing implementing digital government and digital ID programs, and incentivizing adoption of digital technologies by consumers and firms.

What are your recommendations for how mobile technology can drive the digital transformation of Ethiopia's economy?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

A Roadmap to Ensure That Every Citizen in Zambia Benefits From the Digital Revolution

My colleague, Aze Malawo, who leads the operations in Sub-Saharan Africa for Global Tactics, an multinational advisory firm that helps clients understand how the world is changing, and how that creates opportunities to be seized and risks to be managed, splits her time between Washington, DC and her native Zambia. Since my first meeting Aze in the mid-2000s, I have heard about the beauty of the southern African nation and the business opportunities that exist in several sectors including the information and communications technology sector.

It was, therefore, with great interest to read a report published by the GSMA, a UK-based organization that aims to unify the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change, highlights how "the digitalization of the economy is a key driver of social and economic growth in Zambia." According to the report, "By taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalization, the Government of Zambia can deliver on the development objectives that it has defined and achieve sustainable economic growth."

The report's key findings include:

• Adoption of digital technologies across both public and private sectors accelerates economic growth by promoting innovation and investment. It increases productivity across all sectors of the economy, improves access to global value chains (GVCs) and improves the efficiency and transparency of government and public services. Moreover, access to emerging technologies such as mobile money, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are desirable as drivers of digital and financial inclusion which in turn supports human development.
• This study identifies opportunities and quantifies the economic value of adopting digital technologies across selected sectors of Zambia's economy. Accelerated development of the digital economy would benefit both the Government of Zambia and the country's citizens in multiple ways. Economic growth would raise incomes, create jobs and raise tax revenues. Digital technologies would also provide direct benefits through enhanced access to information, productivity-enhancing technologies and improved educational outcomes.
• Mobile connectivity and mobile money both play a key role in digitalization. Mobile broadband connectivity provides the foundation for the digitalization process. Mobile money is also critically important, providing individuals and businesses an accessible and efficient route to financial inclusion.
• The mobile telecoms sector in Zambia has made steady progress in recent years but there remain significant challenges. These challenges include expanding access and increasing adoption of digital services, particularly among low-income households and in rural areas. This will require further network rollout and upgrades, support to ensure that devices and services are affordable for everyone and boosting adoption through stimulating demand for digital services.

The report importantly points out that "[p]olicy plays a critical role in the future development of the digital economy in Zambia. The growth and development of the digital economy is strongly influenced by policy and regulatory decisions taken by the government." The GSMA says its "study identifies how opportunities for economic growth and development can be unlocked through policy reforms. Overcoming the challenges facing the sector will require bold policy initiatives on the part of government to stimulate demand, reduce the cost of supply and promote investment in mobile telecoms networks and in mobile money services."

GSMA's report also "identifies a series of specific policy recommendations that, if implemented, would increase the number of internet users in Zambia by 2.1 million by 2028. This would reduce the internet usage gap by 9 percent points."

The priority policy reforms include:

• Reducing sector-specific taxes and fees on mobile telecoms services
• Reducing operating costs and improving the financial sustainability of the mobile business
• Modernizing the tariff regulation regime, to provide more certainty for operators
• Lifting restrictions on mobile money charges and removing the mobile money levy
• Stimulating additional demand for mobile telecoms services

If adopted, these policy reforms "will help Zambia to achieve its economic development objectives, including economic transformation across important sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. The potential macroeconomic impacts are summarized below in Figure 1."

Image: GSMA

In a press release issued by the GSMA, Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa for the UK-based organization, said: "The Zambian government has demonstrated strong commitment to digitalization through its National ICT Policy 2023 and the Eighth National Development Plan. Now, more than ever, collaborative action between the government, industry, and stakeholders is needed to create the enabling environment for digital transformation. The future of Zambia lies in digital connectivity. With the right policies, we can close the digital divide, empower communities, and unlock new economic opportunities. The Zambia Digital Economy Report provides a clear roadmap to ensure that every citizen benefits from the digital revolution. Now is the time for bold action."

What are your thoughts about the report's findings? What digital transformation opportunities are you seeing in Zambia's mobile technology sector.

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Mobile Money Services Are Growing Faster Than Predicted, Says GSMA Report

According GSMA's State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2023 report, "mobile money is now considered a mainstream financial service in many countries." Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK-based organization says: "During the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile money enabled millions of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to access digital financial services (DFS) for their daily needs." Available in English and French, the report "looks at the growth of mobile money in a post-pandemic world."

The report notes that adoption and active usage continue to rise. "Registered mobile money accounts grew by 13% year on year, from 1.4 billion in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2022. This can be attributed, in part, to regulatory changes in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ethiopia where mobile money adoption rose rapidly."

What is more, digital transactions are increasing as the use of cash slows down. "Transaction values grew by 22% between 2021 and 2022, from $1 trillion to around $1.26 trillion," the report explains. "However, the share of cash-based transactions in the overall transaction mix declined, with cash-in and cash-out transactions dropping nearly two percentage points. This is due to a significant rise in digital transactions, particularly interoperable bank transfers and bill payments."

Encouragingly, global daily transaction values are exceeding predictions. "In 2020, global daily transaction values exceeded $2 billion. The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2021 (covering data from 2020) suggested this could reach $3 billion a day by the end of 2022. This figure has been surpassed, with $3.45 billion transacted daily via mobile money in 2022."

Mobile money remains a key savings channel, according to the GSMA. In 2022, approximately 60% of mobile money providers (MMPs) "offered users a savings account. Half of these providers did not offer a savings product in 2021. The World Bank Global Findex 2021 found that 15% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, or 39% of all mobile money account owners in the region, saved using a mobile money account."

Disappointingly, women in LMICs are 28% less likely than men to own a mobile money account. "More women have a mobile money account than ever before and are using it at a similar rate as men on a 30-day basis. However, there is still a gender gap in account ownership that has recently widened in countries such as Nigeria and Pakistan." The report continues to explain that "One of the main barriers to closing the gender gap is mobile phone ownership: increasing mobile phone ownership can improve mobile money adoption rates among women. Other steps to close the mobile money gender gap include increasing women's digital skills and awareness of the benefits of mobile money, and tackling social norms and other barriers that are preventing women from using it."

Another key finding of the report is that regulation has been influenced by challenges such as taxation and fraud. "Regulation has focused on ensuring payment systems remain safe and efficient while also encouraging innovation. However, the mobile money industry is facing several regulatory challenges. Some countries have introduced taxes on mobile money transactions and fees that do not align with their financial inclusion objectives." Moreover, "Fraud also remains an industrywide issue, which many regulators are aiming to overcome through improved consumer awareness and capacity building."

GSMA's report on the state of the mobile money industry draws on the results of the annual GSMA Global Adoption Survey of Mobile Financial Services and data from the GSMA Mobile Money Deployment Tracker. I appreciate how this report provides insights on mobile money performance from the GSMA's engagement with the industry.

What do you think of the report's findings? What is your engagement with the mobile money industry?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Report Explores a New Era for Digital Payments

Following a white paper, Going digital: payments in the post-Covid world, The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) published in 2021, which showed how digital channels were replacing traditional modes of payments across the world amid greater uptake of mobile wallets and other forms of digital payments, The EIU recently developed a new dataset, along with five-year forecasts, confirming these trends. Entitled Beyond borders: a new era for digital payments, this white paper offers an overview of The EIU's forecasts for digital payments, as well as the accompanying stagnation of automated teller machine (ATM) numbers and the mixed outlook for card payments. It also looks at the new frontier for disruption: cross-border payments.

Below are the paper's key forecasts:

• Following a surge during the pandemic, when lockdowns forced consumers online, growth in digital payments will soften during our five-year forecast period (2022-26).
• The number of ATMs will stagnate or decline, while debit and credit cards will struggle to maintain market share as mobile payment platforms gain more traction.
• While digital disruption to domestic payments continues, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war will cause parallel disruption to cross-border payment systems and potentially challenge the dominance of SWIFT.
• Countries will seek to interlink their national fast-payments systems, reducing intermediaries and bringing down the cost of sending money abroad.
• Countries across Southeast Asia are in the process of interlinking their fast-payments systems to allow travelers across the region to purchase goods and services by scanning quick-response (QR) codes.

The report also points that APIs, tokenization and blockchain will together become the new normal. "As well as challenging SWIFT, disrupting cross-border payments will mean adopting innovative solutions and emerging technologies, including blockchain, APIs and tokenization."

• APIs have been a game-changer for retail payments, providing end-to-end tracking of payments and confirmation of transactions to all parties involved. They enable interaction across the digital marketplace, higher levels of transparency, and a seamless experience for both customers and merchants.
• Tokenization, which creates a unique code for every single transaction conducted through an API, and blockchain technology, have also emerged as a major way to ensure security, improve efficiency and raise the transparency of payments.
• Blockchain technology employs encrypted distributed ledgers that eliminate the need for any intermediaries but still provide verification of transactions in real time.
• As with domestic payments, real-time payments will also become a cornerstone for the acceleration of cross-border payments.

With respect to governments encouraging development of cross-border payments linkages, The EIU expects "increasing involvement from government entities to facilitate the development of the fintech sector, promote financial inclusion or aid the flow of remittances from overseas workers." The paper further says "Singapore (with PayNow) and Thailand (PromptPay) were the first countries to interlink their fast-payments systems in April 2021. More countries, especially in Asia, have since unveiled plans for similar tie-ups." Importantly, "This process will also be facilitated by the development of central bank digital currencies. These digital currencies aim to provide efficient and inclusive payments services—which traditional systems have failed to provide—and also emerge as trustworthy alternatives to private projects such as stablecoins, cryptocurrencies that (in theory) peg their value to another currency or commodity."

At the same time, the paper notes that "countries like Russia, China and India could encourage international trade denominated in their own currencies, or enter into bilateral trade agreements—between the rupee and ruble, for instance—to avoid settlements in dollars or euros." What is more, "Although the US dollar’s dominance of international trade will remain unchallenged in the short and medium term, emerging powers in Asia will try to reduce the greenback’s influence to avoid runs on their foreign-exchange reserves and mitigate the impact of any future disruptions."

The report provides a thorough explanation on how digital channels are replacing traditional modes of domestic payment around the world amid greater uptake of digital wallets and other forms of mobile transactions. Moreover, businesses of all sizes will find value in The EIU's latest forecasts for domestic payment flows and the deep-dive into the future of cross-border transactions.

How is your business taking advantage of the digital disruption of cross-border payments?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

GSMA Report Says 5G Coverage Will Accelerate Across Asia Pacific Supporting Advancements in Next-Generation Services

"At the end of 2021, the number of mobile internet users in Asia Pacific exceeded 1.2 billion, reflecting a penetration rate of just under 45% of the population," the GSMA notes in its annual report on the state of mobile economy in the Asia Pacific region. "This means that more than half of the population live in areas covered by a mobile broadband network but do not yet subscribe to a mobile internet service (usage gap)."

The UK-based organization, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, adds that "The main reasons for the usage gap include the lack of digital skills (especially among older populations), lack of affordability among low-income households and online safety concerns among minority and vulnerable population groups. Addressing the usage gap for these key groups will extend the benefits of the internet and digital technology to more people in society. This requires concerted efforts by a broad range of stakeholders working together with mobile operators and other ecosystem players, such as device manufacturers and digital content creators."

The report's other key findings include:

• 96 percent of the population of Asia Pacific are covered by mobile broadband networks
• By 2025 there will be 400 million 5G connections across the region – just over 14 percent of the population
• $770 billion of economic value added by the mobile industry in 2021, approximately five percent of the GDP in the region
• Security and sustainability move up the agenda for operators
• Policymakers and regulators can fuel growth and innovation by finding the proper balance in the regulatory environment to support mobile network deployment and operations.

In addition to providing significant economic value to the region's economy, "The mobile industry continues to deliver social impact across Asia Pacific, primarily by providing the connectivity that enables the growth of small businesses and digital transformation of enterprises, and granting access to life-enhancing services and tools for citizens," the report explains. "Mobile money is one example, with adoption scaling rapidly in parts of Asia Pacific as operators support the region’s shift to digital payments."

The report also mentions that "The metaverse ecosystem is growing in many countries around the world, including in Asia Pacific. This is demonstrated by the interest of public agencies and private enterprises in establishing a presence in the metaverse and actively utilizing the platform in their engagement with customers and other stakeholders." For example, "South Korea plans to spend at least $186.7 million to create its metaverse ecosystem, as part of the country's Digital New Deal."

As highlighted in the image on right, the GSMA highlights how "Other governments in the Asia Pacific region, both at national and provincial levels, have outlined plans to harness the potential of the metaverse to increase the efficiency and quality of public services, as well as improve collaboration between local and national government agencies. This will be crucial to the development of the broader metaverse ecosystem, including for content creators and telecoms operators."

On the topic of security and sustainability, the report points out that "Security is the top priority for network transformation strategies among operators in Asia Pacific. This is not surprising given the backdrop of rising security threats to telecoms networks and, increasingly, to end users." Using Thailand as an example, the GSMA says 56 percent "of cyber threats in 2021 reportedly occurred via vulnerabilities in mobile devices."

The report also notes that "Operators across the region are also accelerating the shift to more sustainable operations, given the demand for a greater focus on energy efficiency from key stakeholders, including shareholders and customers. The industry is addressing the challenge through a comprehensive set of actions, such as the use of solar and improving the energy efficiency of networks.

As for creating policies to facilitate digital innovation, the GSMA asserts that "As society now moves towards a 'new normal' post pandemic, mobile connectivity will be central to the development of new and innovative technological solutions to today's problems. As 5G network deployments continue, 5G's ability to support next-generation offerings (such as cloud services, AI, IoT and edge computing) will drive digital economic growth and innovation."

Moreover, I support GSMA's assertion that "Policymakers and regulators can fuel growth and innovation by finding the proper balance in the regulatory environment to support mobile network deployment and operations." The organization says policymakers should also take steps to:

• establish a forward-looking regulatory regime that supports the financial sustainability of the industry and provides non-discriminatory conditions to drive new innovations from large companies and SMEs
• adopt policies that enable the building and deployment of infrastructure to support future networks accessible to all
• create and maintain a safe and trustworthy online environment to protect users from threats
• ensure that available spectrum serves the future demand for connectivity.

"These steps have the potential to set the proper foundation to support future economic growth, societal development and technological innovation."

Infographic: GSMA

Despite some near-term geopolitical and socioeconomic risks, I remain bullish about Asia Pacific's mobile economy. How are you positioning your business to capitalize on the region's growing mobile market?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

How to Improve Women's Use of Mobile Money in Ghana

"In Sub-Saharan Africa, women are 13 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone; while 75 percent of women own a mobile, 74 million remain unconnected," says a report published by the GSMA. What is more, "In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where people are less likely to have formal bank accounts, mobile money is critical to facilitating widespread financial inclusion. ... While wider coverage and mobile ownership is making mobile money more accessible and relevant in people's everyday lives, a persistent gender gap is leaving women behind."

The GSMA explains that its "report focuses on the mobile money user journey in Ghana, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on mobile money usage for men and women and the barriers to greater usage, with a specific focus on women entrepreneurs." The report's findings "highlight that beyond the high level numbers, women entrepreneurs lag behind in their awareness and usage of the non-core mobile money services in Ghana, which could add value to their businesses."

Below are the report's key findings:

1. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of mobile money services among men and women in Ghana.
2. Mobile money is transitioning from an everyday cash replacement to a true banking alternative, but women entrepreneurs tend to use a narrower range of services than men.
3. Most male and female mobile money users anticipate that they will use mobile money as often, if not more, in a post-COVID world.
4. There are opportunities to increase awareness and use of mobile money services beyond payments, particularly among women entrepreneurs.
5. Women, including entrepreneurs, need more support from others to learn about and use mobile money.
6. Sustaining mobile money usage among new male and female users who signed up during the COVID-19 pandemic will require overcoming some additional barriers.

The GSMA points out that "Ghana is one of the most mature mobile money markets in the world and, despite having relatively low levels of gender equality, progressive policy and regulatory reforms have improved financial inclusion for men and women since the COVID-19 pandemic." However, as the findings in the report highlight, "that beyond the high level numbers, women entrepreneurs lag behind in their awareness and usage of the non-core mobile money services in Ghana, which could add value to their businesses."

The report importantly adds: "Users who adopted mobile money during the pandemic are less likely than longer term users to be aware of, and use, the full range of services available to them. Since they depend more heavily on agents and family to use their account and are less likely to handle transactions themselves, these users will need additional, on-going support."

To help provide users with on-going support, the report presents the following recommendations:

1. "As life returns to normal, ensure that men and women who signed up for mobile money during the COVID-19 pandemic have the knowledge and skills they need to continue using it. This group currently lags behind longer term users in terms of knowledge and use of mobile money. As Ghana starts to recover from the pandemic, it is crucial that new users are given clear and accurate information on the benefits of using mobile money longer term. This will help ensure that usage expands and becomes entrenched in day-to-day life, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. "Drive usage by increasing women's awareness of the range of mobile money services available. While there is almost no gender gap in account ownership in Ghana, women use a narrower range of mobile money services than men. It is clear that the experiences of men and women differ. For entrepreneurs, this is especially evident in the awareness of non-core mobile money services. Lower awareness is mirrored by lower usage – increasing knowledge through marketing and other approaches aimed at women and women entrepreneurs is likely to lead to greater uptake of a wider selection of mobile money services.
3. "Improve women's understanding of mobile money to reduce their reliance on others. Women, including women entrepreneurs, are significantly more likely than men to rely on others when learning to use mobile money. Without concerted efforts to reduce women’s reliance on others, this is likely to limit the way they engage with the service, including the range of services they use and the frequency of usage. More needs to be done to provide training resources to women signing up to mobile money to ensure the information they receive is comprehensive and correct. For example, mobile money providers could incentivize agents to provide hands-on support to women to demonstrate how the service works and improve their confidence in using it. Supporting women to use the full range of mobile money services independently is likely to deliver more substantial benefits to women, and women entrepreneurs in particular, as well as higher revenues for the mobile industry."

What are you recommendations for improving women's use of mobile money in Ghana?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Merchant Mobile Payments Nearly Doubled in 2021, According to GSMA's Annual Report on the Mobile Money Industry

"Over the past decade, mobile money has expanded from a niche offering in a handful of markets to a mainstream financial service, moving millions of households in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from the informal cash economy into a more inclusive digital economy," according to GSMA's State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2022. Available in English and Français, the GSMA, a UK-based organization that aims to unify the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change, adds: "In 2012, there were 169 mobile money deployments in 71 countries. Ten years on, the number of live deployments has almost doubled to 316 and expanded to 98 countries worldwide."

A product of GSMA's Mobile Money program, which works to accelerate the development of the mobile money ecosystem for the underserved, the report examines the following major industry trends of 2021:

1. A trillion dollars transacted as the industry diversifies. "In 2021, the mobile money industry processed more than $1 trillion in transactions. The year-on-year increases in transaction values have been driven by new customer uptake and a growing number of mobile money use cases. For example, in 2012, ecosystem transactions such as bill payments, bulk disbursements, merchant payments and international remittances accounted for less than 10 percent of overall transactions. Ten years on, this has risen to 20 percent, a clear sign that mobile money providers are embracing diversification."

2. Mobile money adoption and activity continue their upward trajectory. "In 2021, the number of registered accounts reached 1.35 billion globally, up 18 percent since last year and 10 times more than there were in 2012 (134 million). 518 million of these accounts were active on a 90-day basis and 346 million on a 30-day basis, growing nearly 15 times and 13 times respectively since 2012. The volume and frequency of transactions also registered strong growth. In 2021, more than 1.5 million person-to-person (P2P) transactions were made every hour on average, compared to fewer than 68,000 in 2012, and the average account makes 3.5 P2P transactions per month."

3. Agent networks continue to thrive. "Between 2012 and 2021, the number of active agents grew more than 10 times, from 534,000 to 5.6 million, unlocking access to financial services for the most underserved customers. Despite closures and restrictions on movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the value cashed in and digitized via mobile money agent networks grew by 18 percent in 2021, reaching a total of $261 billion or more than $715 million a day. Even the most established agent networks registered strong growth, with the 25 largest networks growing by more than 25 percent on average from 2020 to 2021."

4. Regulatory challenges persist. "Despite the huge success of mobile money services in many countries, in others, the sustainability of mobile money services is threatened by certain policy and regulatory interventions, from taxes on transactions to poorly implemented instant payment solutions and costly data localization mandates. The high cost of compliance is shared by mobile money providers and customers alike with potentially negative consequences on future investments in, and customer usage of, mobile money services. Dialogue between policy makers, regulators and industry leaders is of paramount importance in order to prevent adverse policy and regulatory interventions."

5. Merchant payments nearly doubled. "After a momentous year for merchant payments in 2020, in 2021 they nearly doubled, reaching an average of $5.5 billion in transactions per month and accounting for 21 percent of the value circulating in the mobile money system (P2P + merchant payments), up from around 10 percent in the past two years. Uptake has been in part driven by the number of businesses actively accepting and receiving mobile money payments."

6. International remittances are still flowing fast. "Two years on since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, diasporas around the world increasingly send money home using mobile money. The number of international remittances sent and received via mobile money grew by 48 percent in 2021, reaching $16 billion. Still, mobile money represents less than three percent of all remittances globally, meaning there is significant potential to digitize remittances and offer faster and more affordable ways to send money worldwide."

7. Bill payments leapt again in 2021. "Like other ecosystem transactions, the number of bill payments processed via mobile money leapt in 2021, growing by 37 percent to exceed $5 billion in transactions per month. For customers, mobile money-enabled bill payments can unlock access to a range of new services, such as off-grid energy, and help low-income users build economic identities. For government agencies and utility companies, mobile money-enabled bill payments can make revenue collection more efficient and cost-effective, strengthen financial transparency and circumvent fraud."

8. Bulk disbursements are seeing remarkable growth. "After registering 28 percent growth in 2020, mobile money-enabled bulk disbursements grew by another third in 2021, topping $65.8 billion. This growth is likely due to an uptick in salary payments as more and more employers turned to mobile money to pay their employees, with the number of unique accounts receiving salaries via mobile money increasing. The number of unique accounts receiving Government-to-person (G2P) payments were also up, as governments forged new partnerships with mobile money providers to deliver pandemic relief and other forms of social support."

9. Savings, credit and insurance are building financial resilience. "According to our Global Adoption Survey, approximately two in five (44 percent) mobile money providers offer credit, savings or insurance products. Uptake of these products in 2021 was encouraging across mature mobile money markets while they also gained traction in less mature markets, where customers are seeking out products to help protect their families and businesses against uncertainty and crisis, invest in their livelihoods and improve their standard of living.

10. Partnerships are pushing interoperability. "After recording exceptional growth in 2020, the value of transactions flowing between banks and mobile money platforms also grew quickly in 2021, up 46 percent, more than doubling since 2019. The continued acceleration of these types of transactions confirms the complementary relationship between banks and the mobile money industry that has been observed in the past few years, confirming mobile money’s key position in the financial ecosystem."

11. The mobile money gender gap is holding women and economies back. "Across LMICs, women are still less likely than men to own a mobile money account. This is due to a variety of reasons including not owning a mobile phone, lack of awareness of mobile money and lack of perceived relevance, knowledge and skills. Encouragingly though, once women have a mobile money account, their likelihood of using it is almost on par with men. As part of the GSMA Connected Women Commitment Initiative, 26 mobile operators across Africa, Asia and Latin America have made formal commitments to reduce the gender gap in their mobile money customer base since 2016."

12. Mobile money is enabling access to humanitarian assistance, utilities and agricultural solutions. "Mobile money is an enabler of many other services that can help solve critical socio-economic and environmental challenges, such as providing access to essential utilities, sustaining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and delivering rapid financial relief to vulnerable populations. For mobile money providers, these use cases represent valuable opportunities to diversify, which many have already embraced."

Video entitled "Mobile money: tracking a decade of innovation, growth and sustainable impact":

The report concludes by explaining that "2021 has shown how the scale and power of mobile money can build a more inclusive world. Behind the numbers and milestones in this report are hundreds of millions of people participating in a more inclusive digital economy." What is more, "Individuals, communities and the public, private and non-profit sectors are all reaping the socio-economic benefits of mobile money."

The GSMA further says "even more profound benefits are possible if the industry and all stakeholders can catalyze efforts, reducing the mobile gender gap and meeting diverse customer needs to activate the billion registered customer accounts that are currently so infrequently used. In practical terms, this can also mean delivering more fast and secure cash transfers among the over 235 million people in need of humanitarian assistance; providing credit, insurance and other risk management tools to more of the nearly 500 million smallholder farmers growing a third of the world's food; and opening further access to affordable, reliable and safe water, energy and sanitation among the more than 1.2 billion people without access to core urban services."

It is encouraging to read how mobile money continues to grow rapidly, bringing a suite of financial products to hundreds of millions of users worldwide and disrupting traditional financial services. Moreover, mobile money is providing significant growth in merchant payments and enabling access to humanitarian aid, utilities and agricultural solutions. Nevertheless, while I recognize recent improvements to increase financial inclusion for women, more must be done to eliminate the mobile gender gap.

Are there aspects of GSMA's report on the mobile money industry that you found of particular interest?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Overcoming Digital Illiteracy: A Toolkit for Training People in Basic Mobile Internet Skills

The previous post focuses on GSMA's annual report on the state of mobile internet connectivity with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Two of the report's key findings include an "awareness of mobile internet is increasing but is far from universal" and "a lack of literacy and digital skills persists as the main barrier to use among mobile users who are aware of mobile internet in LMICs surveyed." The latter point was reported "as the top barrier by a third of respondents, followed by affordability." While predictions of increased use of mobile phones in LMICs are encouraging, the benefits these devices bring to the user, like any tool, can be maximized only if they possess certain skills. Fortunately, with support by the Department for International Development (DFID), a government department of the United Kingdom that has since been replaced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the GSMA created a toolkit for training people in basic mobile internet skills.

"Today there is still a 'usage gap' of 3.4 billion people who have access to mobile broadband coverage, but are either unable or unwilling to use it," the GSMA explains. What is more, "GSMA research has consistently shown that low levels of basic digital literacy are one of the main barriers to mobile internet adoption. To address this, in 2016 the GSMA Connected Society program – with financial support from DFID – developed the Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT), a set of resources to promote digital literacy, help people use the internet more safely on their mobile and ensure they have the skills required for a digital future."

Designed for mobile network operators, non-governmental organizations, development organizations, and governments who want to provide training to improve people's basic knowledge and understanding of the mobile internet, the MISTT uses a 'train the trainer' approach and consists of short lessons in a PDF format that can be easily adapted to local needs and languages. Available in Bengali, English, French, Hindi, Kinyarwanda, and Swahili, the guide serves as a tool for giving "trainers what they need to demonstrate the value and the functionality of the internet on mobile phones. As a result, trainees will be equipped with a deeper understanding of what they can use the internet for and the basic skills needed to access and use it. We believe that this will lead to increased awareness and use of the life enhancing services that the mobile internet has to offer."

Moreover, "The training presented in this toolkit, targets people with little or no mobile internet skills. It aims to teach those who want to learn what the mobile internet is and how to communicate and search online. This toolkit is not suitable for people with no experience of using mobile phones, and doesn't cover basic functions such as making calls or sending SMS. Similarly, it is not designed for those who are already familiar with the mobile internet."

Among the 12 individual video modules produced in English is one that provides an introduction to the internet.

I am very pleased to see a video module focusing on online safety.

And another video module focuses on mobile money, which is quickly becoming an essential service for individuals as well as micro, small and medium enterprises.

I concur with the guide's assertion that "[m]obile phones are much more than just a tool for making calls. Increasingly they are the primary way people across the world access the internet. Whilst the internet can provide a wide range of benefits to the user, it requires specific skills and knowledge to use a mobile phone effectively. This means that people who lack the skills and understanding are unable to access these life enhancing services."

What are your thoughts about GSMA's Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

Opportunities in Digitizing Payments in Agricultural Value Chains

In 2004, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Government of Uganda in making improvements to the country's agriculture sector, which is the sector where most Ugandans make their living. During our assessment, my colleagues and I witnessed a variety of inefficiencies including the low yield per hectare as a result of poor utilization of technology that farmers in developed countries had long utilized, lack of dry or cold storage facilities (and the lack of reliable electricity to power the latter) that led to a high rate of produce spoilage, and the glacial transfer of payment process within the typical agricultural value chain.

While much has improved over the past 16 years, I continue to see inefficiencies during my more recent trips to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Therefore, I read with great interest a report, Digitizing payments in agricultural value chains: The revenue opportunity to 2025, published by the GSMA, a UK-based trade organization.

Focusing on countries with an agricultural value-add (percentage of GDP) greater than 10 percent in 2017 as determined by The World Bank (with Mexico, Peru and Sri Lanka being exceptions and have been included to show the potential of digitizing payments in the agricultural value chain), the report explains that it "is aimed at mobile money providers, which have the opportunity to drive growth in rural areas in developing countries by digitizing agricultural payments. Two types of payments are ripe for digitization: procurement payments from agribusinesses to smallholder farmers in formal value chains and subsidies paid out by governments to smallholder farmers. Both offer mobile money providers an entry point to digitize agricultural payments and enhance financial inclusion for smallholder farmers."

Furthermore, "Using proprietary methodology, this report looks at the growing opportunity to digitize business-to-person (B2P) payments (typically between agribusinesses and farmers) and government-to-person (G2P) payments (typically between governments and farmers) in agriculture in 72 developing countries. The revenue opportunity for mobile money providers from digital B2P payments is expected to increase from $2.4 billion in 2021 to $3.2 billion in 2025, while the revenue opportunity for digitizing G2P payments is expected to rise from $152 million in 2021 to $210 million in 2025."

Importantly, "Digitization can reduce transactional costs and make agricultural value chains more efficient, safe and transparent. This report examines the opportunity to digitize agricultural payments and lays out the foundational elements that must be in place for mobile money providers to realize this opportunity. Prerequisites for digitization include an enabling regulatory environment, the availability of active and liquid agents in rural areas and the presence of agribusinesses and government bodies willing and able to deploy digital tools. While initiatives to digitize B2P payments are beginning to emerge, there are much fewer examples of digital G2P schemes. This report highlights the challenges that have constrained the growth of digital G2P payments."

Below are the report's key findings and recommendations regarding B2P payments:

• The revenue opportunity for mobile money providers in digitizing agricultural B2P payments is expected to reach $3.2 billion by 2025.
• Asia offers almost 80 percent of the global opportunity to digitize agricultural B2P payments due to the large volume of formal agricultural B2P cash payments available. Sub-Saharan Africa has a smaller revenue opportunity, but strong mobile money uptake, especially in East Africa, means that the region is ripe for digitization.
• To digitize B2P payments to smallholder farmers, mobile money providers should work with agribusinesses in formal value chains.
• If operating in an enabling regulatory environment, mobile money providers should ensure they have active rural agents with sufficient liquidity for cash-outs when farmers receive agricultural payments.
• Mobile money providers should also allow agritechs to integrate real-time payments solutions to create holistic digital agricultural tools that can add value for both farmers and agribusinesses, such as digital farmer records and advisory services.

The report also presents the following key findings and recommendations with respect to G2P payments:

• The revenue opportunity for mobile money providers in digitizing G2P payments in agriculture is expected to grow to $210 million by 2025.
• With established traditional subsidy schemes, most notably in India and Pakistan, East Asia and South Asia together offer the highest revenue opportunity in G2P digitization. However, there is a significant opportunity in digitizing G2P payments in Sub-Saharan Africa too, particularly in larger markets, such as Ethiopia and Nigeria – with the former having implemented a nationwide scheme to digitize fertilizer and seed subsidies to farmers in 2012.
• Assuming the presence of an enabling regulatory environment, digitizing G2P payments in agriculture offers mobile money providers a significant revenue opportunity, especially in countries with large, established, cash-based subsidy schemes.
• However, digitizing G2P payments presents a different set of challenges than B2P payments, primarily dealing with complex governmental procurement processes and the risk of shifting government priorities.

In addition to my work in Sub-Saharan Africa, I had the privilege advising government agencies and agribusinesses in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Uzbekistan. These experiences provided me with the opportunity to understand the challenge of getting "payments to farmers in the last mile of agriculture value chains, as well as government subsidy payments to farmers." According to the report, "In agricultural value chains, the 'last mile' is the web of relationships and transactions between buyers of crops, such as agribusinesses, cooperatives and middlemen, and the farmers who produce and sell them." A digital payment system could provide a remedy.

As the report encouragingly explains, "With 290 live mobile money services in 95 countries (as of December 2019), there is an opportunity for mobile money providers to digitize payments to farmers in the last mile of agricultural value chains, as well as government subsidy payments to farmers. The benefits for mobile money providers and mobile network operators (MNOs) can be both direct and indirect":

Direct benefits of digitization

• Revenue from payment transaction fees
• New mobile money customers in rural areas
• New mobile network service users
• Increased loyalty or stickiness of existing users
• Licences for payment platforms and management systems

Indirect benefits of digitization

• Higher use among existing mobile money users
• Mobile money ecosystem use by new customers
• Increased network use (SMS, calls, data)
• Increased agent activity – ecosystem development
• Uptake of adjacent products (loans and insurance)

What solutions do you think will help improve efficiencies in the agricultural value chain?

 

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of GT Perspectives, an online forum focused on turning perspective into opportunity.

The Mobile Industry Plays an Increasingly Important Role in Accelerating Social Progress in West Africa

West Africa's mobile ecosystem generated more than $50 billion in economic value last year – equivalent to 8.7 percent of the region's GDP, according to a GSMA study. Authored by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the GSMA, The Mobile Economy, West Africa 2019 further finds that rising mobile phone ownership and the ongoing migration to mobile broadband networks and services across the region will see the mobile ecosystem's economic contribution continue to increase over the coming years, forecast to reach almost $70 billion (9.5 percent of GDP) by 2023.

Available in both English and Français, the report reveals that:

• The number of unique mobile subscribers across West Africa reached 185 million at the end of 2018, equivalent to 48 percent of the region's population. This number is forecast to rise to 248 million by 2025, 54 percent of the population;
• Future subscriber growth will largely be driven by young consumers owning a mobile phone for the first time; more than 40 percent of the region's population are under 18 years old, according to the report;
• 3G will overtake 2G to become the leading mobile technology in West Africa this year, supporting about half of the region's mobile connections. 4G momentum is also building: ten new 4G networks have recently launched in West Africa, including the first ever 4G networks in Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Togo;
• Local mobile operators are increasing investment in their networks and are expected to spend $8.5 billion (capex) on network infrastructure and services over the next two years (2019/2020);
• West Africa's mobile ecosystem directly employs around 200,000 people, supports 800,000 jobs in the informal employment sector, and a further 600,000 jobs across the wider economy; and
• Mobile is the primary platform for accessing the internet in West Africa; at the end of 2018, there were around 100 million mobile internet users in the region, up almost 20 million year-on-year.

On the topic of mobile contribution to social progress, the report says "[t]he mobile industry plays an increasingly important role in accelerating social progress in West Africa. With a sizeable proportion of the sub-region's population excluded from many services, mobile-enabled digital platforms provide a vital opportunity to deliver solutions that can improve the livelihood of the most vulnerable people in the society and foster greater socioeconomic inclusion. Across West Africa, the activities of mobile operators and other ecosystem players are enhancing digital and financial inclusion, driving innovation and supporting efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."

Eleven years remain until the 2030 deadline to achieve the SGDs. The report notes: "Countries in the sub-region face an uphill task to attain these goals, mainly due to acute resource and infrastructure gaps. The mobile industry is, however, well positioned to support governments, the development community and other stakeholders in efforts to accelerate progress on key SDG targets. This is achieved in three main ways:

• Deployment of infrastructure and networks: The mobile industry drives impact through the provision of – and investment in – high-performing mobile networks, which provide the foundations for the digital economy and act as a catalyst for a diverse and innovative range of services.
• Access and connectivity: Mobile operators are continuing to connect the unconnected, with 30 million new mobile subscribers and 50 million new mobile internet subscribers across West Africa since 2015.
• Enabling services and relevant content: Mobile connectivity continues to transform the lives of millions of people across West Africa, by enabling the delivery of life-enhancing services, including education, health and financial inclusion. This is especially significant given the challenge of providing the services by conventional means amid considerable infrastructure and funding gaps."

The report encouragingly explains that "[t]he tech start-up ecosystem in West Africa is growing rapidly, with the emergence of a new generation of tech entrepreneurs and increasing funding from private investors. Tech innovators increasingly use mobile platforms, such as connectivity, mobile money and cellular IoT, to create and distribute innovative solutions that address a wide range of local challenges. This is helping bridge the digital content gap through the development of homegrown content and services with direct relevance to local consumers."

Infographic: GSMA Intelligence

What localized content or services do you think will provide value to West Africa's mobile ecosystem?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Pursuing Uganda's Mobile-Enabled Digital Transformation

"As Uganda advances its efforts focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Uganda Vision 2040, harnessing the power of mobile technology will be critical to influencing progress across all development goals," explains a report published by the UK-based GSMA. The report, Uganda: Driving inclusive socio-economic progress through mobile-enabled digital transformation, further says, "Mobile is the first among all information and communication technologies to reach across geographies, income levels and cultures, enabling access to basic services where traditional means have often failed, including financial services, access to health information, education and clean energy. Mobile technology also enables the most widespread means of accessing the internet – the foundation for Uganda's digital future."

The report is correct to note that a "[d]igital transformation is underway in Uganda, as shown by the growing number of people accessing digital content and services. This is having a profound impact on the country's socio-economic development, with digital platforms beginning to provide access to life-enhancing services while improving productivity and efficiency across key sectors of the economy."

"In 2015," the report explains, "Uganda launched the second five-year National Development Plan (NDP II) 2015/16 – 2019/20. Its five priority areas – agriculture, human capital development, infrastructure, tourism, and minerals, oil and gas – prioritize action as part of a broader goal to transform the country from a low-income economy to a competitive and market-driven, lower middle-income economy by 2020, in line with the long-term vision of reaching upper middle-income status by 2040."

Moreover, "The government of Uganda also pledged to achieve the SDGs and other international commitments. Although government and its development partners have committed resources to the NDP II priority areas and other development goals, economic progress has been sluggish, constrained by productivity challenges, slow private-sector growth and funding deficits for key sectors."

Based on my visits to the country, the first of which occurred in 2004, I support the following assertion: "With more people using mobile services today in Uganda than ever before, the technology is having a direct impact on social and economic activities and, by extension, supporting progress with the national and global development goals."

The report highlights five broad areas where the use of mobile technology is having a notable impact in Uganda:

• Productivity and efficiency – mobile connectivity lowers the cost of accessing and disseminating vital information, allowing private businesses and public institutions to be more productive;
• Service delivery – mobile platforms enable innovative solutions that leapfrog infrastructure and funding challenges across key sectors of the economy, notably health, education and utilities;
• Good governance and social justice – mobile-enabled digitization of government tax receipts and social security disbursements has increased transparency and accountability in those processes;
• Climate change and the environment – mobile technology helps with disaster preparedness and response by raising public awareness and reaching out to vulnerable populations on disaster risks; and
• Digital entrepreneurship and emerging technologies – Around 4 in 5 tech start-ups use one or more mobile platforms in their solution, while mobile connectivity is enabling the development of blockchain and other emerging technologies in Uganda.

"We are at a key point in Uganda's history," the report concludes. "Mobile is powering the most widespread and inclusive means of accessing the internet and digital technologies, which are vital to the growth of the Ugandan economy in an increasingly digital world. Stakeholders need to act collaboratively now to ensure that Uganda's digital future is an inclusive one that leaves no one behind."

What role are you playing in supporting Uganda's digital future?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.

Mobile Significantly Advancing Economic and Development Goals in Tanzania

A report authored by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of UK-based GSMA, says "Tanzania is undergoing a digital transformation, reflected by the growing number of people connected to communications and internet services. This is having a profound impact on the country's social, cultural and economic frameworks, through enhanced access to key services and improved productivity and efficiency across economic sectors."

Digital Transformation in Tanzania optimistically notes: "The mobile industry is contributing significantly to the realization of Tanzania's development goals through various activities and initiatives by mobile operators and other ecosystem players. This report highlights four important contributions the mobile industry is making to the development goals":

• Access to key services – Mobile operators provide affordable access to life-enhancing services for people in underserved communities. Inclusive and innovative business models have emerged from the convergence of various mobile services, particularly connectivity, mobile financial services, digital identity, and M2M and IoT.
• Productivity and efficiency – Mobile is driving productivity and efficiency gains in businesses and public institutions, especially in the agricultural sector where the technology is helping to address the knowledge and information gap for farmers and enabling efficient interactions and transactions between key players in the value chain.
• Contribution to economic growth and social development – In 2016 the total value added generated by the mobile operators alone (taking into account direct, indirect and productivity effects) was around $2.5 billion, equivalent to 5.2% of GDP. The mobile industry also employs more than 1.5 million people directly and indirectly, equivalent to 2.6% of the population.
• Good governance – Mobile is a key channel for Tanzania's e-government strategy, with public institutions now using mobile money, SMS and USSD platforms to deliver services, collect payments and engage with the general public.

On the topic of mobile money, "Tanzania is one of the most advanced mobile money markets in Sub-Saharan Africa," the report explains. The service has helped to:

• Reduce transaction costs and improve safety for individuals and businesses;
• Enhance the efficiency of the economy by reducing the need for users to travel long distances to bank branches to make transactions in person; and
• Create employment and additional income for tens of thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) acting as mobile money agents.

Lastly, the report presents the following conclusion:

Government leadership is a critical factor in establishing a conducive environment and developing the momentum for greater stakeholder collaboration. In addition to implementing key policy enablers to support the growth of the mobile industry, the government and its agencies need to become more involved in charting a holistic plan to leverage mobile technology to realize the development goals, and engage relevant stakeholders in every step of this process. Mobile operators and other key stakeholders in the digital ecosystem all have roles to play.

Mobile operators should find ways to develop economically viable rollout models to expand network coverage; use cost-optimizing technologies and geo-analysis to optimize deployment; leverage APIs, hackathons, own app stores and partners to develop language-specific, relevant content; and embrace interoperability of platforms, such as mobile money and IoT, to drive scale and sustainability. For their part, donors, development partners, private sector players and civil society organisations need to work with policymakers to develop and implement regulatory best practices and partner with governments to improve ICT infrastructure in public institutions.

Are there lessons learned from Tanzania's mobile sector that can be replicated in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa?

Aaron Rose is a board member, corporate advisor, and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.