HiPipo Money

In the wake of the influential and widely celebrated inaugural “100 Women in FinTech” listing in 2023, we are excited to announce an even more ambitious and impactful edition for 2024. This year’s edition expands on the previous year’s achievements and introduces several new dimensions to recognise and celebrate the women leading the way in the FinTech industry.

In a noteworthy enhancement from last year, the top 100 women selected for 2024 will be honoured with a “Digital Certificate of Excellence.” This prestigious acknowledgement is a testament to their outstanding contributions, service, and societal roles. These are lifelong accolades, empowering recipients to showcase their achievements in their professional biographies and across various social communication platforms.

As we approach the International Women’s Day celebrations, we are thrilled to spotlight 40 remarkable women leaders. These leaders are not just making strides in financial inclusion and gender diversity; they are redefining what it means to be a leader in today’s dynamic financial landscape.

Selected through a People’s Choice process, these 40 women represent the very best of innovation, executive leadership, entrepreneurship, and business acumen — all under 40. They are the women who have been directly nominated by those whose lives and careers they have significantly impacted.

Starting January 30th, 2024, we embark on a journey to showcase one exceptional woman leader each day individually. This culminates on March 8th, aligning with International Women’s Day, when the highly anticipated “HiPipo Women in FinTech Magazine” will be published, featuring more inspiring women.

Join us in this celebration as we highlight these trailblazing women excelling in their fields and paving the way for future generations in FinTech and beyond.

Earning money is very hard but spending needs no rocket science. For instance, it is not news that someone can have TSh. 1,000,000 in the morning and by evening, s/he has used up all the money. This may be due to unnecessary spending, extravagance or poor planning.

Nonetheless, Innovators are using technology to develop tools and platforms that can cure such ills. On Day 41 of the 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative for Tanzania, we interacted with Ronald Mwanyika, the Founder of Pocket Budgeting. Here is the story of how Pocket Budgeting is helping its customers manage their money by spending rightly and setting priorities.

HiPipo: What is Pocket Budgeting?

Ronald Mwanyika: Pocket budgeting is a platform that allows people to master their money and make better financial choices or decisions. What we do is we allow people to spend their money in the right areas or the areas that matter; giving them the ability to better understand how their money comes and how their money goes.

HiPipo: Why should customers be interested in Pocket Budgeting?

Ronald Mwanyika: One of the major reasons why a person should sign up with Pocket is for the person who needs or wants to better master their money and attain that financial freedom, they should sign up with Pocket because it is a platform that will give them tools to better manage their money and also a platform that will give them the knowledge they need to better make their money grow and make their money worth something.

HiPipo: How does one get started on Pocket Budgeting?

Ronald Mwanyika: First and foremost, you must have the application on your phone. And after creating an account, you will be able to add your income. Now, we call it net worth, because according to us, net worth is the money that you have after you have removed all the expenses. So, you add your income, and there are several envelopes, such as spending, there is to pay. That’s an envelope where the people that you have to pay, you also have an envelope of people that have to pay you. And there is an envelope for investing and savings. There is an envelope for expenses. So, once you have added your income, you distribute that money into the respective envelope so that you can know how much money is left. One thing that we believe in is you have to pay yourself first. So, after you remove all the expenses, that net worth that remains is the money that you have that has no use. So, it is like the money that you have paid yourself from the income you have gained. Once you start budgeting your money, you start to see how much money you don’t have, instead of just seeing that, oh, I have this certain amount of money that you don’t know where the money goes.

One of the things that we have tried to address is trying to teach our customers how to best allocate their money. We help them prioritize and make good choices.

HiPipo: What are some of the challenges you have so far faced in this business?

Ronald Mwanyika: One of the major challenges we have so far is the issue that comes with people trusting what you are trying to do because when it comes to money, most people are sensitive about that subject. When I was researching to see if people would be interested in such a platform, most people were saying they were interested, but when it came to transacting money through the platform, it was an issue for them, it was a very sensitive subject.

HiPipo: What are your views about partnerships for start-ups in regards to start-up growth?

Ronald Mwanyika: Partnerships are something that helps the company to grow because a startup has competitors in the market that already know the terrains and most of the things about how the business goes. So, for a startup, partnerships are one thing that helps it to grow and catch up to with who are already in the market. So, I believe also in pocket, as we are growing into the market, we will be able to see the companies that we can best partner with us to be able to fulfil the goals that we set out to fulfil.

HiPipo: What are your views about 40 Days 40 FinTechs?

Ronald Mwanyika: Platforms such as 40 Days 40 FinTechs help FinTechs to best show what they can do. They also help to show the regulators the potential of FinTechs and what they need to thrive. And in a way that if the regulators can best see the values and know how the FinTechs operate, they can then set regulations and rules that best suit the industry, regulations that are pro-start-ups and facilitate FinTech companies.

Include EveryOne Program.

First implemented in Uganda, 40 Days 40 FinTechs is an annual FinTech Innovation initiative presented by HiPipo to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations who are making significant strides in promoting financial inclusivity through the use of technology.

It is aimed at promoting innovation and collaboration among FinTechs in Africa. The initiative is designed to provide FinTechs and startups with mentorship, training, exposure, and networking opportunities to help them grow and scale their businesses.

40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative Tanzania is part of HiPipo’s broader Include EveryOne Program that is generously supported by the Gates Foundation and implemented in partnership with Level One Project, ICTC Tanzania, Ideation Corner, Cyber PLC Academy, INFITX, Crosslake Technologies, NG Films, Founders Academy and Mojaloop Foundation.

The Include EveryOne program is a beacon of acceleration of FinTech Innovation, empowerment for Women in FinTech and a catalyst for investment and development in the ICT sector. Minus 40 Days 40 FinTechs, other initiatives under the Include EveryOne Program are the FinTech Landscape Exhibition, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit and Incubator, Digital Impact Awards Africa and the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit.

HiPipo is recognized as a premier advocate of digital Innovation and financial inclusion champion, a fervent proponent of the #LevelOneProject. HiPipo has been at the forefront, actively promoting digital innovation, Instant, Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS), and DFS across Africa. With a legacy of advising, mobilizing, and facilitating the adoption of inclusive financial services, HiPipo’s efforts have been nothing short of transformative! For almost two decades, HiPipo has successfully facilitated the inclusive adoption of these crucial services.

We are pleased to announce the launch of Digital Money Movers, a monthly publication dedicated to exploring the dynamic world of digital innovation and financial services. The journal delves into the compelling stories, significant developments, and influential figures shaping FinTech innovation, digital payments, and financial inclusion across Africa.

Digital Money Movers is designed to be more than a mere publication. It aims to comprehensively explore the key contributors, opportunities and challenges within Africa’s FinTech Innovation, Digital Financial Services (DFS), and Financial Inclusion landscape. Its primary objective is to offer an in-depth view of the trailblazers making a lasting impact in these sectors.

Each month, the publication will shed light on the movers and shakers in this space, highlighting their contributions and the enduring influence they bring. At the end of each year, all insights gathered throughout the months will be compiled into an exclusive edition, offering a holistic view of the advancements and trends witnessed over the months.

In the inaugural edition, we focus on Visa and Mastercard, examining their rivalry and presence in Africa through eight key aspects. This exploration marks the beginning of an exciting series under Digital Money Movers, where we aim to uncover every facet of inclusion, ensuring no stone is left unturned.

We invite you to join us on this enlightening journey with Digital Money Movers, where each month brings discoveries and insights, contributing significantly to the discourse on digital financial inclusion in Africa.

Digital Money Movers – January 2024 Edition

Savings and Credit groups are common across Africa. While they have contributed greatly to the development of local communities, their strong reliance on manual and cash-based processes makes them prone to fraud and mismanagement.

But, innovators are now using technology to counter these challenges by developing platforms that digitize these savings and credit groups. One such platform in Tanzania is the Koba APP.

Koba simplifies the management of group finances, enhances communication among group members, and provides a platform for financial empowerment. It’s a versatile tool designed to facilitate collaborative financial activities and promote responsible financial practices within communities.

According to Emmanuel Zakayo, the Founder of Koba, the application eases the work of people in saving groups as they can manage their group finances digitally with every member able to apply for credit and have it approved by the leaders electronically after which it is wired by the treasurer to the borrower’s mobile money number.

“Koba is available on both the Play Store and Apple Store. You just need to download the APP and register with your mobile number. We shall then send you a confirmation code to confirm your membership. You can also create a digital savings group on Koba. You simply go to the settings, select contacts of people you want to be in the savings group, create the group name and save it.” 

Zakayo noted that their biggest challenge is limited funds to scale their services and reach more people.

“We created this APP using our own personal funds. This has limited us as we can’t serve as many people as we could want because this would require more investment. We are sure that our platform is required by many groups but we cannot reach them. Hopefully, with our participation in this year’s 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative, we shall be able to reach more people, get more customers and attract partners and investors.”

Include EveryOne Program.

We interacted with Koba on Day 40 of the 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative for Tanzania. First implemented in Uganda, 40 Days 40 FinTechs is an annual FinTech Innovation initiative presented by HiPipo to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations who are making significant strides in promoting financial inclusivity through the use of technology.

It is aimed at promoting innovation and collaboration among FinTechs in Africa. The initiative is designed to provide FinTechs and startups with mentorship, training, exposure, and networking opportunities to help them grow and scale their businesses.

40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative Tanzania is part of HiPipo’s broader Include EveryOne Program that is generously supported by the Gates Foundation and implemented in partnership with Level One Project, ICTC Tanzania, Ideation Corner, Cyber PLC Academy, INFITX, Crosslake Technologies, NG Films, Founders Academy and Mojaloop Foundation.

The Include EveryOne program is a beacon of acceleration of FinTech Innovation, empowerment for Women in FinTech and a catalyst for investment and development in the ICT sector. Minus 40 Days 40 FinTechs, other initiatives under the Include EveryOne Program are the FinTech Landscape Exhibition, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit and Incubator, Digital Impact Awards Africa and the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit.

HiPipo is recognized as a premier advocate of digital Innovation and financial inclusion champion, a fervent proponent of the #LevelOneProject. HiPipo has been at the forefront, actively promoting digital innovation, Instant, Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS), and DFS across Africa. With a legacy of advising, mobilizing, and facilitating the adoption of inclusive financial services, HiPipo’s efforts have been nothing short of transformative! For almost two decades, HiPipo has successfully facilitated the inclusive adoption of these crucial services.