15 research outputs found
Factors Impeding Mobile Money Expansion in Zambia
The majority of the world population is not covered by the mainstream financial sector. As such, mobile money services are seen as a cost effective and efficient way of increasing financial inclusion. However, there remains some factors that impede the development of mobile money services. Therefore, this study sought to analyse these factors with a view to identifying strategies that can be used to accelerate the development of mobile money services
The impact of mfinance initiatives in the global south: a review of the literature
After more than two decades of research on technological interventions in the transition to information societies, the burgeoning of mobile phones in developing countries has shifted the information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research lens to the different domains of mDevelopment. While advances have been made in domains of mHealth, mGovernment, mBusiness and mEducation, mFinance initiatives have had impressive adoption upon implementation in certain geographic locations. Services such as M-Pesa have been widely reported in the mainstream press and form the test beds for various scholarly investigations
Mobile Money more Freedom? The Impact of M-PESA's Network Power on Development as Freedom
The role of ICTs in development is contested between those who believe they will facilitate human development and those who believe they are, at most, impotent, and at worst, counterproductive. This article uses an examination of M-PESA, a large-scale mobile financial service in Kenya, to argue that the impact of ICTs on development as freedom differs with both the specific conceptualization of freedom used, and the institutional arrangement of the technology in question. The article’s novel conceptual model links the adoption of mobile money to its impact, suggesting that the dominant individualistic and instrumental approaches to ICT4D overlook the ways in which power and domination function alongside freedom when these factors are considered relationally and substantively. I demonstrate that the internal plurality of the concept of freedom leads to both new forms of empowerment, but also to limitations on choice and new forms of dominance. In closing, I suggest institutional and technological arrangements that are most likely to maximize the development potential of mobile money
An Ethnological Analysis of the Influence of Mobile Money on Financial Inclusion: The Case of Urban Zambia
The issue of access to financial products has been a public policy issue since 2005 when the first FinScope Zambia study was conducted. The 2015 study indicated that 40.7% of adults were financially excluded. This article investigates the influence of mobile money on financial inclusion using urban Kitwe and Kalulushi as case studies. We employ an ethnographic methodology to understand the extent to which mobile money has encouraged the unbanked population to access financial products and services. The findings indicate that mobile money has a positive influence on financial inclusion. It is easier to open accounts with mobile money kiosks than with formal banks. Mobile money services are conveniently located where the unemployed, aged and other segments of the unbanked population are found. They use mobile money services to send and receive money, pay utility bills and purchase airtime. Since mobile money services positively influence financial inclusion in urban settings, we recommend that they should be made widely available in rural areas. Furthermore, there is need to increase financial education and knowledge about mobile money systems and operations across populations in both urban and rural areas
The Development, Use and Cultural Context of M-PESA in Costal Kenya
Launched in early 2007 by Safaricom, Kenya’s leading mobile service provider, the M-PESA mobile money transfer service has met with unparalleled consumer adoption and rapidly revolutionized money transfer throughout Kenya. Seen as the “mobile money success story,” the service allows users to transfer money to any other mobile phone user in the country instantly using even the most basic mobile telephones, and has become a model for the development of similar systems around the globe. The result of one month of full-time archival research and field work, this study presents a history of the development and acceptance of M-PESA by placing it in context with other money transfer services and methods, examines the service’s present-day use in three towns in Kenya’s Coast Province through interviews with more than 30 participants, and concludes by developing culturally-contextualized recommendations for future service offerings and improvements
All about the state-Fifty years of innovative technology to deliver an inclusive financial sector
This paper documents the long-term nature of technological innovations which have transformed retail finance and addressed financial exclusion. The paper also contributes to the body of literature on the state as an entrepreneur. The roots of financial inclusion are traced back to the 1960s with a discussion of the role played by the state, in contrast to that of the private sector and disruptive innovation. The case of the world-recognised mobile payment service M-Pesa, which has been credited with transforming access to financial services in Africa, is then examined. The empirical results suggest that the state was actively involved in the development and deployment of applications of information and communication technologies which led to M-Pesa. This study provides support for policies that promote mobile banking technology as a means of enhancing financial inclusion. The study also confirms that public-private partnerships, together with an enabling regulatory environment, facilitate technological innovation
The “bi-directional” influence between technology and society: how M-PESA is shaping and being shaped by society in Kenya
M-PESA (a mobile banking service in Kenya) was introduced to offer a person-to-person money transfer service. Its extensive adoption and appropriation for purposes other than person-to-person transfers has influenced the technology providers (Safaricom) to widen their services beyond their original intentions. M-PESA provides a wide range of financial services including services for people who were previously unbanked. Users of M-PESA can now pay different utilities, those without credit cards can purchase products online, others can repay loans to microfinance institutions, pay insurance premiums, withdraw money from ATMs, use it as Point of Sale Payment and open savings accounts. This research examines the existence of “bi-directional” influences between technology and society by taking M-PESA business users as a case. It specifically investigates how M-PESA as a technology has influenced the business environment in Kenya and how the design of M-PESA has in turn been influenced by its adoption. The research adopts the Adaptive Structuration Theory as the theoretical framework and interpretive case study research as a methodological approach. Interviews with different stakeholders in the industry were used to collect data. Data was analyzed using Diachronic Analysis. The results of the research show that there is a “bi-directional” influence between technology and people as they affect each other over time. Mobile technologies shape the way businesses operate, allowing them to provide new services and improve existing ones. At the same time, usage and adoption trends affect the design of mobile technologies. Over time, technology is adapted to accommodate the new needs of businesses and other needs in the wider community. This research shows that the impact of technology depends not only on its functionality but also on its use and appropriation in society.Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011.Informaticsunrestricte
Pregnant women's access to maternal health information and its impact on healthcare utilization behaviour in rural Tanzania
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine rural women s access to
maternal health information and its impact on levels of skilled healthcare utilization.
Method: A qualitative study involving twenty five (25) pregnant women,five (5)
Skilled healthcare providers and five (5) Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) was
conducted in Chamwino District in Dodoma Region, Tanzania for a period of six
months. Due to time and resource limitation the researcher selected two (2) of the 32
wards in the district where the problem of maternal mortality and non-utilization of
skilled healthcare was most prominent. The two selected wards were Msanga and
Buigiri wards.
The researcher used The Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour to
develop interview questions and focus group guides as well as the interpretation of the
findings. The researcher examined how variable factors e.g. maternal health literacy,
individual perceptions, local knowledge and care provider-related factors affect
pregnant women s health behaviours and utilization of skilled maternal services. The
Data was analysed thematically using the 6-stage guide to thematic data analysis with
the help of NVIvo Software.
Results: The inadequate conditions of the health facilities and the poor working
conditions of the care providers affected the provision of quality of maternal services
and health information to pregnant women in the study area. The limited access to
skilled maternal health information from skilled healthcare providers and lack of
alternative sources of reliable health information led pregnant women to seek health
information from their Mothers-in-laws, TBAs and other women in the
society. However, there was a shortcoming of information inaccuracy as their health
advice was not based on previous expert advice but rather on the personal opinion and
attitude towards skilled maternal services.
The limited access to maternal health information caused majority of pregnant women
to underestimate the risks of pregnancy related complications and how they responded
to pregnancy danger signs and other ill-health conditions that raised during
pregnancy. The majority of pregnant women reported not to seek and kind of care
when experienced a health problem. It was also found that during labour some would
go to the TBA for childbirth and later go to the dispensary when the TBA failed while
others would just go for TBAs opinion and confirmation that it was real labour then go
to the health facility. This delayed women s timely access to obstetric care which is
essential for positive outcome when a pregnant woman experiences a pregnancy or
childbirth complications.
Conclusion: The improvement of the quality of skilled healthcare services in rural
areas is a prerequisite for achieving desired outcomes in maternal mortality reduction
efforts in Tanzania. However, improvement of quality itself is not a panacea if
pregnant women are not aware of the services, hence the healthcare providers should
also focus in increasing provision of maternal health information to pregnant women.
The findings show that the limited access to skilled maternal health information from
healthcare providers and lack of alternative sources for reliable health information has
constrained majority of these women from becoming maternal health literate hence
affecting their levels of utilization of skilled maternal services. The healthcare
providers and policy makers should focus on meeting the health information needs of
general rural populations and enable them to become well-informed and
knowledgeable to make better and well-informed maternal health decisions