Lack of banking options leads to mobile phone payments in Africa
Lack of banking options leads to mobile phone payments in Africa
Google may be working on a program to deliver wireless Internet to Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia with the help of high-altitude inflatables, according to the Wall Street Journal.
So far Google isn’t commenting. But the story highlights the issue of tech infrastructure — or lack thereof — in the developing world. And how, in some cases, a dearth of infrastructure can actually lead to innovation.
Dayo Olopade, who is writing a book on this topic called The Bright Continent: How African Ideas Are Changing the World, says in some African countries, the lack of banking options has led to an explosion of mobile phone payments. Olopade joins Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson to discuss, click on the audio player above to hear more.
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