Note: This is an edited version of the TechCabal daily digest for September 4, 2017. Subscribe here, to get it in your mailbox every day around 7am (WAT).
Here’s what you need to know today.
1 – Let it chuuuuurn! (x3) ?
NCC (Nigerian Communications Commission) has released subscriber data for the month of July, revealing a steep decline in total mobile subscriptions (see: chart above), and a more shallow dip in the number of internet subscribers (see: chart below) in Nigeria.
There were 91.4m internet users in Nigeria in July, down from 91.6m in the month before. Of that number, Globacom had 26.9m in July, down from 27.1m in June, Airtel had 20.5m in July, up from 20.1m in June, MTN had 31.8m in July, up from 31.6m in June, and 9mobile (FKA Etisalat Nigeria) had 12m in July, down from roughly in 12.5m the month before.
I am tempted to blame the slight dip in the number of internet subscriptions on macroeconomic headwinds, that theory would not explain Globacom, the telco with the cheapest data offering, losing 178000 subscribers. And as long as we don’t have access tomore granular data like the geographical breakdown, my analysis will go no further than: “Hm. C’est interessant.”
2 – Gender Dynamics of Mobile Money in SSA
Here’s an interesting post by Susan Johnson (University of Bath), about how people *actually* use mobile money in sub-saharan Africa (beyond the “send-money-home” stereotype):
Women’s receipts were higher in total across all types of resources received and through the mobile money channel and also when they were married and household heads. Women received more via mobile money when they had more women in their network of close family sending them funds, meaning women were sending higher amounts than men, which suggests a strong woman-to-woman dimension among close family (parents, spouses, children). Yet men also gave more when they had more women in their close family network.
However, in the wider network of family (including siblings, cousins, aunts/uncles), both men and women received higher amounts when they had more men in these networks – further supporting Kusimba’s finding about the importance of male relatives. Moreover, we found that when both men and women gave to women in both their closer and wider family networks, this then raised the amounts they in turn received, demonstrating a reciprocal dynamic at work.
This seems to be exactly right, and I love that Dr. Johnson and her team carried out this research. It is potentially useful for designing financial services, policy, and regulation for the underserved majority.
These are interesting.
+ How the internet of things, a mobile phone network, and a herd of zebras could save the rhino. Link.
+ MEST is organizing two events in Lagos, as part of the soft launch of their incubator/co-working space. The first is a masterclass about expanding your startup to new markets, on September 29 (link), and the second is the MEST Lagos Boardroom Sessions with Aaron Fu on September 30 (link).
+ Victor Asemota: Policy Activists and Technology Growth. Link.
+ Paystack & Lifebank are launching a crowdfunding campaign for Makurdi flood victims. Link.
+ Applications for the Y-Combinator Winter 2018 batch will close by 8pm PT on October 3. Apply.
+ BitPesa is hiring a Global Head of Sales and Marketing. Link.
+ OyaNow, a new online logistics service is launching at Ventures Park, Abuja on Friday, September 22.
Upcoming events
London: Dinner with BTNG (Building Things for Nigeria), in collaboration with Tokunbo’s Kitchen, will hold on September 22. Link.
Lagos: Imisi 3D’s AR/VR meetup on September 23. Register.
Owerri: Tech Ladies Meetup at 10am on September 23. Location: 3, Yar’Adua Drive by Concorde Junction, Off Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.
Lagos: forLoop women and Africa’s Talking are holding “The Bot Party” on September 23. Deets.
Lagos: Paystack is organizing a Y-Combinator Lagos Meetup on September 23. Meet YC founders and gain insight into the process. Link.
Lagos: Lagos Startup Week runs from September 25 – 30. Link.
Johannesburg: Register for CIPESA’s forum on Internet Freedom in Africa, holding on September 27 – 29.
Lagos: Usable Meetup, on September 28. Link.
Lagos: Lagos WordPress Meetup, on September 30, at Best Western Hotel, Ikeja. Link.
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