Category: Women In FinTech

By our writer

When you talk about software engineering, many females will tell you that it is a preserve for males.

This is basically because in addition to being a male-dominated field, most females think that software development is a hard discipline and thus should be pursued by men.

To demystify that belief, however, Club Tangaza, an online coding platform for children and beginners, has come out to demonstrate that anyone, be it a young girl, boy, woman or man, can acquire the software development skill and excel at it.

According to the Club Tangaza co-founder Cleopatra Kanyunyuzi, the company set out to teach the young generation (girls and boys), starting at an early age, coding skills so as to develop the love for it early in life instead of being introduced to them while at college or university.

“Coding is currently referred to as the literacy of the 21^st century; so it is only imperative that we teach our generation how to code. Learning to code is like learning any other language and these skills need to be taught at an early age before they become picky,” Kanyunyuzi says.

She adds: “In this era of the internet of things (IOT) devises around us are interconnected and they communicate through code. So, these skills are really very important.”

Coding refers to giving a set of instructions to a computer, which instructions are written in a programming or computer language.

Kanyunyuzi says: “Coding is no longer a reserve for software engineering or computer science students, learners do not have to wait to go to college or university to start learning how to code; anyone can learn how to code.”

Club Tangaza runs three programmes including Tangaza Kids for children aged four to 12, Tangaza Def Club (13 years and above) and Team Techy (13 and above).

To enroll, one visits www.clubtangaza.com, and chooses an appropriate programme, after which they are given feedback and a schedule.

Kanyunyuzi, however, says that while at Club Tangaza both boys and girls are exposed to the same tools, environment, equality in assessment and opportunities, enrollment is still higher for males than females. She adds that males also tend to stay committed throughout the entire course than their female counterparts.

Incentives needed

To increase the number of females embracing technology, Kanyunyuzi says there is need for incentives from both the private and public sectors.

“As private Club Tangaza, we provide discounted prices for girls that enroll for our progrmmes but this is not enough because we are just a small entity.

“We thus call upon leading females in Tech and the government to join this cause. The government should probably roll out these programmes in schools so that they are not only left to people who can afford them but even people at the grassroots because there is that young girl or woman who has not even seen a computer but would love to get involved in shaping the technology trends of our country,” she notes.

Club Tangaza is among the firms participating in ongoing second edition of the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative organized by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox and Mojaloop Foundation, and sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

The initiative provides a platform for FinTechs and stakeholders in the digital and financial technology space to exhibit their products and share ideas.

Kanyunyuzi says the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative is championing digital inclusion by shining a light on local startups that are providing digital solutions to automate business processes in the country.

The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya says through this edition, FinTechs have shown a plethora of solutions, seeking to solve unique sets of challenges.

He adds that FinTech is the Launchpad on which the promise of full global financial inclusion will be fulfilled.

By Our writer

Many businesses always find themselves entangled in non-core business functions and end up giving little time to core operations, which affects their operations.

Payments are one of those non-core operations that businesses, especially the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) tend to spend a lot of time on.

To help them manage their daily payments needs without interrupting their core business operations, however, Kanzu Code, a software development company, came up with an aggregation solution dubbed Kanzu Money to enable MSMEs conveniently, effectively and securely make bulk payments.

According to the Kanzu Code Software Engineer Patricia Atim, the solution allows businesses make bulk payments to their employees, suppliers and vendors, among others, in a single click.

The system uses a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file where all the details including particulars to the people to be paid and the respective amounts, are input and then uploaded onto the web-based Application (App) system to effect the payments, accordingly.

The solution is an interoperable as it uses the Mojaloop software. This means that payments can be effected from the system to any mobile money service provider or bank, effectively and at the same cost.

“This solution helps a small business owner that needs to make several payments yet the recipients are on different networks yet they have to pay via mobile money,” she explains.

She adds: “Imagine if you have 50 people to pay daily; making a single payment at a go to all those people is a lot of work. This means that you either have to carry the money with you to pay them or look for a money agent and ask them to pay one by one. The whole process is tiring and cumbersome.”

The solution not only eliminates the risk of carrying cash but also enables a business to make payments at once to all the people instead of having to pay each, one by one.

Kanzu Code also offers other solutions including custom digital solutions, online stores and Kanzu jobs, among others.

Having a bias towards women’s financial inclusion, Atim says that Kanzu Code plans to roll out a strategy to create initiatives that will be tailored specifically to encourage women to sign up.

She notes that four in 10 MSMEs are owned by women, yet most women are unhappy with the current FinTech solutions on market as they were not responsive to their needs.

Kanzu Code, which participated in the first ever Women in FinTech Hackathon last year, implements Real-Time payments and Same-Day settlements, which are among the financial inclusion principles.

They are among the firms participating in ongoing second edition of the 40-Days 40-FinTechs programme, organized by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox and Mojaloop Foundation, and sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

Atim commends HiPipo for the programme, saying it has played a major role in publicity and raising awareness about the crucial role FinTechs play in the country.

While Uganda’s FinTech industry is steadily growing, Atim notes that there are a number of challenges including the prohibitive regulations and policies, high cost of lending and difficulty of attracting funding from investors.

The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya, however, says that FinTech in Africa offers attractive opportunities and that investors are rightfully picking interest in the various startups offering a plethora of services, ranging from payments and lending, remittances and cross-border transfers, among others.

He explains that the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative seeks to boost the African FinTech ecosystem to enable innovators enjoy sustainable profitability to help them design and deploy affordable and inclusive financial services for the poor.

Kanzu Code can be accessed on www.kanzucode.com

By Our writer

From bricks and cement to painting, plumbing and décor services, anyone undertaking a construction project can now access them under one roof, just with the click of a button, thanks to Kuzimba Services.

Established in April 2020, Kuzimba Services, the online web Application, aids estate, site or home building by providing fast engineering solutions and making purchases of building materials easy.  

According to Kuzimba Services Business Store Manager, Ephrance Eunice Namugenyi, people no longer have to physically move looking for the materials as they can now be accessed online and delivered at their construction site.

Additionally, the firm also provides access to building experts, carpenters, architects, interior designers, cleaners and engineers and travel insurance, among others.

Namugenyi says that once one visits the business website; www.kuzimbaservices.com, they create an account by inputting all their details before they can proceed to make the different purchases for the needed building materials.

“When one gets online and they register; Kuzimba gets a message that someone has initiated a purchase of a certain material. When we get the email, we send them an RFQ and a work plan, depending on the material they have requested for.

“They then sign on the document and send it back and we make the necessary arrangements for the clients to receive their order. At Kuzimba Services, we give you reliable service delivery in the fastest time possible as long as you sign up and keep an account with us,” she explains.

Kuzimba Services participated in the Women in FinTech Hackathon in September 2020, which Namugenyi says created for them visibility and addition to exposing them to latest financial technology trends and new technologies.

The participation in the Hackathon saw them develop a cash management system, a fundamental requirement for any online business, which has enabled them operate efficiently.

40-Days  40 FinTechs 

Kuzimba Services is also participating in the ongoing second edition of the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative, organised by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox and Mojaloop Foundation, and sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

Namugenyi alludes that the platform is an opportunity for Kuzimba Services to be marketed and to grow to another level.

The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya also alludes that the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative seeks to boost the African FinTech ecosystem to enable innovators enjoy sustainable profitability to help them design and deploy affordable and inclusive financial services for the poor.

Kawooya adds that FinTech is the launch pad on which the promise of full global financial inclusion will be fulfilled. He also notes that FinTech in Africa offers attractive opportunities as investors are rightfully picking interest in the various startups that are offering a plethora of services.

By Our writer

It is no secret that women are behind men when it comes to digital skills and are less-likely to have their businesses online compared to their male counterparts.

To close this gap, however, Computing Palace Technologies, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) firm that specializes in software development, is introducing “Her Duuka”, a web-based e-commerce platform that will enable women post and sell their products online.

According to Felix Balitumye, the Team Lead at Computing Palace Technologies, this will enable women businesses, majority of which have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, to thrive.

Balitumye says that majority of women-led micro and small businesses have since collapsed due to failure to adapt to electronic commerce because of lack of digital skills among their proprietors.

Over the past few months, the firm has been teaching businesses digital skills to enable them use digital channels to market and sell their products.

“We noticed that many businesses had not adopted so much social media and other digital platforms to do business. But after holding a session with them and showing them how their businesses can evolve, they have adopted,” says Balitumye.

“We are not only teaching these women digital skills, we are also enabling them to adapt by selling their goods online. Whoever will be allowed to create an account on this platform must have been trained.”

This, he says, will also help boost financial inclusion as the women-business owners will only receive their payments through mobile money.

While the platform will primarily be free for all the women, Balitumye says that they might consider charging a small subscription fee in future for sustainability purposes.

This is the latest of a number of innovations by Computing Palace Technologies which deals in a range of ICT-oriented services including software development, development of financial products, websites design and hosting services, ICT consultancy, internship training, and customized ICT training.

Over the years, the firm has developed different management systems including Sacco management, School management, Hospital management, and Church management systems, among others to enable them operate more efficiently.

40-Days 40 FinTechs

Computing Palace Technologies is among the participants in the second edition of the 40-days-40-FinTechs initiative, organised by HiPipo under its Include EveryOne programme, in partnership with Crosslake Tech, ModusBox and Mojaloop.

Balitumye commended HiPipo for the initiative, saying that it has opened for its doors to new partnerships and also broadened its perspective towards financial inclusion and interoperability, which have been integrated in its systems development.

Being a gender-centric firm, however, Balitumye says there is need to for enhanced collaboration and support to bridge the current gender gap in the industry.

The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya alludes that the second edition of the #40Days40FinTechs will showcase the best of the multitude of solutions and products one can think of in the digital space.

“We expect examples of innovations and brands operating in this space and also use this chance to learn, at no cost, from probably the most knowledgeable pool of global FinTech experts that are all scheduled to present this year,” he said.

Kawooya adds that FinTech in Africa offers attractive opportunities and that investors are rightfully picking interest in the various startups that are offering a plethora of services, ranging from payments and lending, remittances, cross-border transfers and neobanks, among others.

By Our Writer

Many businesses globally have been affected by the lockdowns instituted by their respective governments to tame the spread of the deadly corona virus, wiping away livelihoods for millions of people.

However, Beyonic/ MFS Africa; a giant FinTech that facilitates payments integration across Africa has refined itself to help such businesses continue operating amid the lockdown to enable them survive.

Doreen Lukandwa, the Beyonic/ MFS Africa Vice President, Global Enterprises says: “In the current lockdown, a lot of businesses are asking themselves how they can continue to make money, reach their customers in the safest and most affordable way possible or how to scale their businesses beyond the confines of one district or country. We enable them do that and much more.”

“Also given the current situations where people have to work remotely and are disconnected from their customers, FinTechs like Beyonic have to be very innovative around how they enable businesses to continue to thrive.

 “This explains why we have focused on refining the answer to the question for you. When you get a Beyonic account, all you have to do is provide basic Know-Your Customer (KYC) to open an account and you will be able to continue operating your business without having to deal with physical cash. You only need to have the mobile money numbers of the people you would want to send money to or those you want to collect money from and communicate widely that you can accept payments through your platform,” she explains.

She adds that the FinTech is also implementing LevelOneProject principles by effecting all its outstanding payments within minutes.

This, according to Lukandwa, seeks to ensure that they use their digital platforms and available infrastructure to make market challenges obsolete.

“We are a solution provider to the challenges our partners face; it doesn’t matter how small or big your business is, we have a solution for you and we ensure real time settlements to facilitate your business growth.”

Beyonic facilitates payments integration across the African continent by integrating all telecoms in Uganda and in other African countries where it operates.

Thus, once one connects to the Beyonic platform, they will have access to all the networks across all countries where it operates, enabling access through a single log-in.

“When you log-in into that account as a business, you can effect payment to as many people as you would like to or receive payments from as many people as you would like to,” Lukandwa says.

Beyonic recently merged with MFS Africa, enabling it to increase the number of markets available for businesses to operate across the continent.

“To us making borders  matter less doesn’t just mean allowing your business go to many other markets but also things like equality, with gender being one of them,” she notes, adding that Beyonic/MFS Africa is women centric, with over 53% of its employees being women.

The FinTech is also deliberate at making more women-owned and led businesses access their platform to enable their businesses to thrive.

40 Days 40 FinTechs

Beyonic is one of the firms participating in the second edition of the 40-Days 40 FinTechs, organised by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox and Mojaloop Foundation, and sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

Lukandwa applauded HiPipo for the initiative, saying that it has provided a platform to aggregate information and players in the ecosystem to create awareness about available solutions to address market challenges.

She, however, notes that while Uganda is extremely entrepreneurial, this needs to be matched with the opportunity to scale and advance these enterprises.

“One of the areas in which we are lacking is reducing the cost of operations and scale; for a lot of these businesses, it is very expensive for them to have startup capital, employ staff, and maintain these businesses plus building capacity on best business practices. These are some of the primary loopholes where I think we need to get together as stakeholders to agree on what we want to achieve and how to achieve it and I think consolidating efforts around KYC would be key.”

The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya applauds Beyonic, saying it has played a great financial inclusion role across Africa, as its products and services are impacting thousands of people at the last mile.

He adds that FinTech in Africa offers attractive opportunities and that investors are rightfully picking interest in the various startups offering a plethora of services, ranging from payments and lending, remittances and cross-border transfers, among others.

Currently, Beyonic can be accessed through www.beyonic.com or through social media, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram as its offices are currently closed due to the lockdown but will be reopened once it is lifted.

#40Days40FinTechs #LevelOneProject