#superplatforms

By comparison, we’re exploring in Africa what the benefits of e-commerce, social media and networking, and digital payments, enabled by superplatforms could be for MSMEs. At this stage, the convenience, facilitation and seamlessness are much harder to see and reap for small merchants, and they are using hydrid and hi-touch approaches, which limit their bandwidth as online sellers. We are seeing some sellers discovering new income and employment opportunities through online marketplace that otherwise do not exist in their analog worlds. 

Is cashlessness “socially valuable,” even for rural and/or elderly populations? How do superplatforms ensure bringing in new customers into digital ecosystems while not locking out those who still live in cash economies? 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-28/google-partners-with-banks-to-launch-digital-lending-in-india

To the BAT trinity (#Baidu, #Alibaba and #Tencent), now come #JD.com and #NetEase. More interesting observation that we see over and over in our field research creation: China’s digital market developed “based on need rather than preference” and understanding these attributes in the market are key to winning in like markets such as #India 

This woman is a small merchant on the streets of Accra and she is stationed right next to the big banks. She uses Ecobank Pay because her customers requested it. It’s also fast and convenient since it’s hard enough to provide enough change to break big bills. 

Could the systemic disruption in the financial sector and the growing efforts by banks and the government to contain it, increase Ant Financial’s appetite for continued growth by expanding to Africa and other emerging regions?

Watch FIBR’s video on Superplatforms: Unlocking the Potential of Merchants, E-Commerce and Financial Services in Africa. There are still so many unanswered questions about their potential. Our research in Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya is to better understand how superplatforms will expand into African markets and how merchants will benefit and grow their businesses from going online.