Latest news with #digitalecosystem
Finextra
a day ago
- Business
- Finextra
Rethinking Mobile Money: From App Integration to Embedded Financial Platforms: By Galong Yao
In recent discussions around mobile financial services, a recurring question has surfaced: Should telecom operators merge their Mobile Money apps into their main self-service platforms? On the surface, integration seems to promise streamlined development, focused user traffic, and lower promotional costs—particularly in markets across Africa and other emerging regions. However, I believe this line of thinking may be too narrow. Instead of merely considering whether to combine apps, we should ask: How can Mobile Money evolve into a foundational financial capability—one that is accessible everywhere, at any moment, and serves as the backbone for a broader digital ecosystem? Mobile Money is not just another service to be bundled into an app. In practice, users encounter financial needs across a variety of contexts: topping up mobile data, paying utility bills, sending money to friends, or making small purchases. The true value lies in making Mobile Money ever-present—integrated seamlessly across all digital touchpoints, rather than isolated within a single application. Looking at the Chinese fintech experience, market leaders such as Alipay and WeChat did not dominate by launching standalone finance apps. Instead, they embedded payments and financial services into social, commerce, and mobility scenarios—transforming themselves into platforms that power a wide array of digital experiences. For telcos in Africa, Latin America, or South Asia, this suggests a practical path forward: Develop Mobile Money as a modular capability, accessible via SDKs and APIs across all digital channels—main apps, mini apps, partner platforms, and even USSD. Establish a Financial Capability Registry: a centralized directory of services (transfer, payments, credit, etc.) available for both internal and external use. Reimagine the main self-service app as a container or service launcher, rather than a monolithic solution. This shift enables greater flexibility, rapid innovation, and the ability to leverage ecosystem partnerships. Ultimately, the real competitive advantage is not in owning more apps, but in being present at more moments in a user's digital journey. Telecom operators should look beyond simple integration and embrace financial services as embedded infrastructure—fluid, scalable, and ready for the ecosystem era. The convergence of finance and everyday scenarios is where the future truly lies.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From Almaty to Stanford: Freedom Holding becomes a global business case study
New York, United States, July 7th, 2025, FinanceWireThe Stanford Graduate School of Business has included a case study on Freedom Holding Corp., a financial services company founded by entrepreneur Timur Turlov, in its academic curriculum. This marks the first case of its kind from Central Asia to be studied at one of the world's leading universities. The case, titled 'Freedom Holding: Building an Ecosystem as a Path to Scale,' explores the transformation of a small brokerage firm into a digital ecosystem that today unites finance, insurance, payment solutions, telecommunications, and everyday online services. The company's central platform, the Freedom SuperApp, allows users to manage both their finances and daily lives in a single digital space. 'If you don't give the customer everything in one place, they'll go somewhere more convenient. We weren't just building a product — we were building an environment where people enjoy living,' said Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding. The story of Freedom Holding is not just a success story — it's described as 'a guide to survival and scaling in times of uncertainty.' Key themes explored in the study include: • Leading in the absence of formal rules • Building infrastructure from scratch • Growth through service integration • Strategic balance between competition and cooperation • The role of mission and values in strategic decision-making Today, Freedom Holding is considering multiple paths for future development — from strengthening its position in Kazakhstan to entering new markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The case was developed jointly by Stanford faculty and representatives of Freedom Holding, and is already being used in Stanford's course on platform strategy and digital transformation in emerging markets. 'This is a moment of pride not only for our team, but for the entire region. We've proven that big ideas can be born outside of New York and London — in places like Almaty or Astana,' Turlov said. About Freedom Holding Corp. Freedom Holding Corp. is an international financial and technology group listed on the Nasdaq (ticker: FRHC). The company offers investment, banking, insurance, and digital services through its integrated platform, Freedom SuperApp. The group operates in 22 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, Cyprus, Poland, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Armenia. The Company's principal executive office is located in New York City. Freedom Holding Corp. is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Natalia KharlashinaFreedom Holding | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved
South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Labubu's rise reflects hitmaker ability of China's digital ecosystem
The global frenzy around China's Labubu, the candy-coloured monster character with the mischievous smile adorning bags, desks, streets and social feeds worldwide, is often hailed as a triumph of Chinese soft power. But Labubu's success reveals something deeper: the unmatched sophistication of China's integrated platform economy. Pop Mart , Labubu's retailer, started with a small shop in Beijing in 2010 but has leveraged China's unique digital ecosystem in recent years to build a global intellectual property (IP) phenomenon, showcasing a new model for technology-powered commercial and cultural influence. This model echoes history. Since the 15th century, when European royalty craved Chinese porcelain, the reach of China's cultural exports relied on the technologies that supported trade, such as shipbuilding. Today, the success of toys like Labubu is propelled by the infrastructure of digital technologies. China's booming e-commerce and social media platforms such as RedNote, TikTok and WeChat are digitising the Silk Road. But instead of promoting IPs particularly linked to Chinese history and culture, companies like Pop Mart achieve success with cosmopolitan offerings like Molly, Pucky and Labubu that appeal to a broader audience.
Zawya
16-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Senegal's tech ecosystem thrives as tech hub evolves
OPTIC, Senegal's leading organization for tech professionals, has worked for three years with the Netherlands Trust Fund (NTF) V project at ITC to improve its services. Together we've improved Senegal's entire digital ecosystem by investing in new skills and opportunities. Positive spin-offs for Senegal's digital ecosystem OPTIC, the Organisation des Professionnels des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication, has a long-standing and fruitful collaboration with ITC. They've worked with the current NTF V project, which is now winding down, as well as the previous NTF IV project. The project supports Senegal's efforts to grow its economy with digital technology. That includes both information technology (IT) companies, and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms that offer back-office services to international businesses. 'NTF's support has enabled us to establish our legitimacy and intensify our efforts in the Senegalese tech ecosystem,' said Antoine Ngom, President of OPTIC. 'Dozens of IT and BPO start-ups have benefited from this initiative, not to mention the indirect spin-offs that have benefited the entire tech economy.' OPTIC has set itself several goals: to create a regulatory environment conducive to growth and innovation; to improve the skills and competitiveness of players on international markets; and to foster partnerships. 'Our members have been able to seize international development opportunities thanks to personalized coaching sessions, as well as work on their pitch and sharpen their fund-raising skills through specialized training courses. Participation in leading B2B events, both national (SIPEN) and international (VivaTech, Africarena, GITEX International), considerably increased their visibility and expanded their professional network. A 360° diagnosis helped them to identify levers for improving their company's performance, while certification support opened doors to national and international public procurement markets, synonymous with new growth prospects. The agritech community also benefited from a number of thematic meetings and a mapping of solutions.' Strengthen achievements and maintain regional influence OPTIC also received comprehensive, structuring support from the NTF V Project. After a performance diagnosis, OPTIC restructured its governance, revised its fundamental texts, and defined its recruitment needs for the permanent secretariat. 'Cooperation between OPTIC and the NTF V project has also helped to make the SIPEN trade show a major focal point for players in the African digital economy. And that's not counting the technical support we've provided for workshops, digital mornings and other ThémaTIC breakfasts that benefit Senegal's Tech community,' said Ngom. All these initiatives have contributed to the emergence of the Digital Senegal consortium and to the realization of promising partnerships with players such as Sen Startup. 'There's no doubt that the NTF V project has helped OPTIC to strengthen its leadership capabilities and increase its regional influence. We've seen a significant increase in membership over the past few years,' added Ngom, who hopes to build on this positive impact over the long term. Now that the trade organization has secured a plot of land on which to build its future head office, achieving financial autonomy is a new challenge. 'We want OPTIC to reinforce its position as a key digital player in Senegal and more widely in West Africa. To achieve this, we plan to boost our regional cooperation and support dialogue with public authorities more than ever. To continue our work, diversify our best practices and develop profitable activities, we are launching an appeal to national and international partners,' he said. Ngom hopes a future NTF VI project will be part of that. About the project The Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF) programme (July 2021 – June 2025) is based on a partnership between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Trade Centre. NTF V supports SMEs in the digital technology and agribusiness sectors in Benin,Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Uganda. Its ambition is to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems partly through digital solutions, to improve the international competitiveness of local tech start-ups and to support the implementation of the export strategy of IT&BPO companies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan JSC (STU:H4L1) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Net Interest ...
Release Date: May 20, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan JSC (STU:H4L1) reported a 30% year-on-year increase in net interest income for Q1 2025. The bank's digital ecosystem, particularly the Helix Superra app, saw significant growth with a 30% increase in transaction volume and 7.7 million monthly active users. Halyk Bank holds a strong market position with a 28.8% market share in deposits and a 20% market share in retail loans in Kazakhstan. The B2B segment showed robust performance with a 22.4% growth in the corporate loan book and a 29% increase in the number of payments processed. The bank's net interest margin improved to 7.5% in Q1 2025, up from 7% in Q1 2024, indicating efficient interest income management. There was a slight increase in non-performing loans (NPLs), which rose from 6.3% to 6.8% due to a moratorium on selling problem retail loans to collection agencies. The bank faces potential impacts from a new tax code, including a proposed 10% tax on excess profits, which could affect future earnings. Operating expenses increased by 22.2% year-on-year, driven by salary indexation and employee benefits, impacting the cost-to-income ratio. Retail loan growth was slower in Q1 2025 compared to previous years, partly due to economic challenges and inflationary pressures. The bank's ability to manage retail NPLs is constrained by regulatory restrictions, potentially affecting the NPL ratio and cost of risk. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with STU:H4L1. Q: Can you give us a sense of the impact of the new tax code on your SME loan book growth and quality? A: The new tax code discussions are ongoing, with some changes potentially affecting 2025 results, but most changes will impact from 2026. A proposed 10% tax on excess profits, including state securities and repo transactions, is being discussed. The exact impact is unclear, but it's expected to be immaterial in the context of overall bank results. (Unidentified_4) Q: Do you see a need to revise your guidance for this year given the changes to the tax regime? A: We typically update guidance after publishing six-month results. Current tax code discussions are ongoing, and without final wording, updating guidance is premature. Broader tax code changes will be implemented from January 1, 2026, affecting operations from 2026, not 2025. (Unidentified_4) Q: Why did the regulator impose a ban on selling retail NPLs to collection agencies, and how does it affect your NPL ratio and cost of risk? A: The moratorium was implemented on April 1, 2024, lasting until April 1, 2026, complicating NPL management by delaying cash flow realization. This has impacted the NPL ratio, but we do not see deterioration in portfolio quality. We expect future retail loans to have higher quality due to tightened credit policies. (Unidentified_9) Q: Are you experiencing more competition for retail deposits compared to a year ago? A: Yes, competition for retail deposits has increased, leading to interest rate hikes by several banks. Despite this, our retail deposits have performed well, with minor reductions attributed to currency appreciation. (Unidentified_4) Q: What is the impact of the excess profit tax on state securities, and how does it affect your effective tax rate? A: The excess profit tax on state securities and potentially repo transactions is expected to be relatively immaterial. The effective tax rate for this year is uncertain due to ongoing discussions and potential changes in regulation. (Unidentified_4) For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
