Telecom
GSMA Lists Barriers to Mobile Money Adoption in Emerging Markets
With more than 866 million registered mobile money accounts globally and $1.3 billion processed daily, mobile money serves as a critical infrastructure for start-ups looking to increase digital payment adoption among their customers in emerging markets, yet they face challenges of adoption, according to the latest report from the General System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA), the global body that represents the interests of mobile operators world-wide.
Inspired by this development, the GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator and Mobile for Development Utilities teams hosted an online clinic diving into mobile money adoption strategies specifically for start-ups in emerging markets in Africa and Asia Pacific.
While analysing the report from the online clinic, Nika Naghavi, senior manager for Inclusive Fintech, Anant Nautiyal, and Data and Insights Director, who work in the GSMA Mobile Money programme, gave an overview of the mobile money industry in some selected emerging markets as it undergoes crucial technological and organisational transformations.
According to them, when it comes to driving mobile money adoption, start-ups from emerging markets face a range of different challenges depending on the context and sector that they operate in. They listed some of the barriers to include: Educational and digital literacy barrier; Product design barrier and Affordability barrier.
For Educational and digital literacy barriers, they explained that for many start-ups, particularly those operating in rural or low-income settings, their customers are first time mobile money users. “Addressing education and digital literacy barriers is therefore critical for driving mobile money adoption and providing greater access to the start-up’s product offering,” Nautiyal said.
Citing Nigeria and Ghana as some of the emerging markets in Africa, Naghavi said: “In rural Ghana, Safe Water Network (SWN), operates mobile money-enabled prepaid household meters, and water treatment and distribution stations. Initially, their users lacked trust in the technology. To resolve this challenge, SWN partnered with MTN Ghana to tackle educational and product design barriers through interactive group work-shops and one-one sessions, as well as a promotional campaign offering prizes to the ‘super-star’ mobile money users. Though cash still represents a significant proportion of total payments, the impact of the joint-campaign is evident.”
According to him, Gham Power develops solar microgrids and solar water pumps, which heavily relied on digital payments for cash collection in rural Nepal and so partnered with mobile operator Ncell, and eSewa, a digital wallet provider, to leverage their agent networks.
Gham Power invested in training agents with video tutorials and ensured that agent incentive structures were designed to drive digital payment adoption among rural customers.
In the area of Product design barrier, the report said product design barrier could include language restrictions, lacking suitability for basic and feature phones, and the limitations of finances, culminating in poor customer experience and user experience, and therefore poorly designed products not suitable for targeted users.
According to the report, SWN realised the importance of communicating with its customers and employed the use of SMS notifications to communicate about deductions from customers’ MTN mobile wallets – fostering an environment of trust and transparency with low-income users.
Given the low smart phone penetration in Senegal, MaTontine, a start-up from Senegal had to ensure that its product offering could operate on basic and feature phones, whilst facilitating trust in their digital service for their female users.
The report also noted that affordability was also a barrier, when mobile money transaction fees account for a significant proportion of the average end-user utility bill payment, which it said, could be a significant barrier to adoption, along with weakening the economic case for mobile money adoption for businesses that rely on small frequent transactions (such as pay-as-you-go).
“This is particularly true for first-time mobile money users and in nascent mobile money ecosystems, where fees are often interpreted as an insurmountable entry cost. Given the immense operational cost savings from high mobile money adoption, SWN decided to absorb the mobile money transaction fee charged to its customers in order to ensure widespread adoption among its customer base,” the report added.
QNET, leading global wellness and lifestyle direct-selling company, has successfully concluded V-Malaysia 2025, its flagship annual convention, at the Penang SPICE Convention Centre in Malaysia. Held from 21–25 June, the five-day event drew over 8,000 participants from more than 30 countries, including Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s global reach and strong foothold in the African market.
For over a decade, QNET has chosen Penang as the destination for this transformative event, which blends business networking, entrepreneurial development, and immersive personal growth experiences.
The 2025 edition underscores the continued collaboration between QNET, its event partner V Global Management (The V), Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and its state-level affiliate, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).
In Nigeria, QNET has steadily gained recognition as a key player in the direct selling and wellness space, empowering thousands of Nigerians with entrepreneurial opportunities, health-conscious products, and financial education.
Through its innovative business model, QNET has fostered a growing community of independent distributors across states like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Events such as V-Malaysia provide distributors a platform to connect with the global QNET network, learn from top leaders, and gain exposure to cutting-edge tools and products that can be leveraged in their local businesses.
V-Malaysia has evolved into a premier platform for business networking, entrepreneurial development, and cross-cultural collaboration. The synergy between QNET and The V — an internationally recognised organisation specialising in large-scale training and events has been pivotal in building the convention’s global draw.
YB Wong Hon Wai, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACH), emphasised the regional impact of V-Malaysia: “Penang’s vibrant tourism and business events ecosystem continues to attract top-tier events like QNET’s V-Malaysia.
In 2024 alone, Penang recorded an estimated RM1.29 billion in economic impact from such events – a testament to their significance. QNET’s long-term commitment brings not only economic value but also strengthens Penang’s global reputation.”
Trevor Kuna, Chief Marketing Officer of QNET, added: “For QNET, Penang is more than just a venue; it’s a home for inspiration, collaboration, and transformation.
“Our strong base in Nigeria and across Africa makes this event especially meaningful, as we bring together entrepreneurs from across the continent to share ideas and build cross-border relationships that accelerate personal and economic growth.”
The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), a government agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and parent body of PCEB, plays a pivotal role in Malaysia’s business events ecosystem. In 2023 alone, MyCEB facilitated 248 business events, brought in over 180,700 international delegates, and generated about RM 2.8 billion in economic impact.
For V-Malaysia 2025, MyCEB’s expertise in destination marketing, strategic facilitation, and coordination between federal and state levels (through PCEB) has been instrumental in elevating Penang’s standing as a premier MICE hub.
Complementing this effort is Tourism Malaysia, whose targeted incentives and logistical backing helped deliver V-Malaysia 2025 as a high-impact global event. Their support underscores the government’s broader commitment to positioning Malaysia as a top-tier host for international conferences and high-impact corporate events.
As part of the event’s activities, QNET also unveiled new wellness innovations, including Harmoniq, a bio-signaling patch designed to enhance energy and well-being, and QWIK, a line of oral health and nutrition strips — products set to expand into markets like Nigeria in the coming year.
V-Malaysia 2025 is not just a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship; it is a dynamic platform that exemplifies how global vision and local action, especially across Africa, can reshape the future of direct selling. For more information about V-Malaysia 2025, please visit QNET’s official website.
In today’s digital world, teens are using social media to connect with their friends, learn and explore their interests.
Instagram has developed a variety of tools to give parents peace of mind, support safer interactions, and empower teens to make thoughtful decisions online. Whether you’re new to the platform or want to stay informed, here are essential safety tools every parent should know about:
Teen Accounts: Teen Accounts were designed to support parents better and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place. Teen Accounts have built-in protections that limit who can contact them and the content they see. By default, teen accounts are set to private and teens under 16 can only change this default setting with help from a parent or guardian.
Supervision tools (parental controls): As part of Teen Accounts, Instagram offers supervision features that allow parents to stay involved in their teen’s experience on the app. With this feature, parents can monitor how much time their teen spends on Instagram, view who they follow and who follows them, receive updates when their teen reports accounts or content, and set daily time limits or scheduled breaks to help manage usage.
Daily time limit: The daily time limit feature is also part of Teen Accounts. It allows parents and teens to set limits on app usage, encouraging healthier and more mindful engagement over time.
Block, restrict and report feature: Teen Accounts include tools that allow teens to block or restrict people they don’t want to interact with and report harmful content or behavior. Restricted users won’t be able to see when your teen is online or if they’ve read messages.
Sensitive content control: This safety feature, also available through Teen Accounts, lets users filter out potentially upsetting or mature content in Explore and other surfaces. content across Explore and other surfaces.
Educational Family Center: Instagram’s Family Center is an educational hub that provides articles and guidance to help parents have meaningful conversations with their teens about their online experiences and how to make time spent online a positive experience. The hub focuses on providing parents with practical tools from online safety experts, organisations and academics on everything from bullying to cybersecurity.
Take time to explore these features with your teen and use them as a starting point for open, ongoing conversations about their online life. When parents and teens navigate these digital spaces together, everyone wins.
In a bold move to blend digital empowerment with fun and entertainment, the Anambra State ICT Agency, in partnership with the Geeks and Founders Alliance for Soludo (GEFAS), announces the availability of free WiFi at the Anambra Mega Fest/Grand Opening of Solution Fun City.
Powered by Pine Heights Systems (PHSWEB), this initiative reinforces the state government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and bringing connectivity directly to the people.
Set to hold on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 1 PM, the grand opening of Solution Fun City will light up Awka with a mix of tech-forward innovation and high-energy entertainment, all under the distinguished hosting of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR.
Attendees are in for a tech-enhanced experience featuring music, dance, comedy, games, and electrifying performances from Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, JeriQ, Jennifer Eliogu, Ugoccie, Apete, Ojadili, Ogbuefi I Go Tuk, Onye Obodo, Prince Neche, and many more.
“Technology is one of the greatest equalizers of our time.
Through digital access, we are not only empowering citizens, we are deepening civic participation and driving progress,” said Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency and Convener of GEFAS.
The event signals a new chapter in Anambra’s smart governance journey, where technology, inclusivity, and community celebration come together in one dynamic space.
To connect to the Free WiFi: turn your phone’s WiFi, select Soludo Solution WiFi and follow the prompts on the landing page
For details, call: 0201 410 1240
Follow the conversation: @gefasoludo across all social media platforms.
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