Category: FinTech

Is Bitcoin the solution to keeping your savings “safe” as financial institutions continue to close down?

According to reports, a massive ‘clean up’ of Ghana’s banking system has left tens of thousands of people wondering where their savings have gone. The crackdown has reduced the number of lenders by a third and resulted in the closure of 23 savings and loans firms. It also triggered a run on fund managers which caused a selling spree and mass liquidation of holdings.

An estimated $1.6 billion has been wiped out, which is over a third of the assets that private fund managers supervise for retail and institutional investors. Ghana’s primary financial regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission, has increased pressure on at least 20 fund managers it suspects of violating the rules.

The SEC has blocked asset managers from receiving any new investments as they may be used to pay out existing investors. The massive run on holdings has left as many as 70,000 people desperately seeking answers as to where their savings have gone. Lord Mensah, a senior finance lecturer at the University of Ghana, commented;

It’s cutting across all the finance houses and when it happens like that the government needs to step in to build confidence again. There’s nothing we can do apart from making sure that we create that necessary environment to regain investors’ confidence again.

The issue Ghana faces is more about having adequate system and controls in place to ensure that there is no room for such things to happen.

Bitcoin is The Solution

Crypto industry observer ‘Rhythm Trader’ said that financial management should not need a middleman and bitcoin, with its ever-expanding network, is the answer.

The savings of tens of thousands wiped-out overnight. This is why saving your wealth should be simple and not need a middleman. Bitcoin fixes this.

Many would argue that bitcoin’s volatility is keeping the masses at bay, coupled with the fact that it is a high-risk investment. But for thousands of Ghanaians, what they perceived to be traditional investments have proved to be a much higher hazard.

Can bitcoin solve the savings crisis? Add your comments below.

August 21, 2019
The Best Banking Apps you can use in Ghana right now
The banking system in Ghana has seen great changes in recent times thanks to the advancement in Fintech. With the invention of smartphones and the increase in the development of mobile apps, a lot of mobile banking apps have been released to satisfy the needs to Ghanaian bank customers.

Gone were the days where you have to walk to the banking hall before you can make a withdrawal or deposit to your account.

Today, with the help of these apps, one can easily transact business on his/her smartphone right in the comfort of their homes. These days, every banking service in Ghana has an app tailored to meets its customer’s choice.

Most people even consider banking app before selecting a bank to deal with, an indication that financial technology has huge potential. There are many banking apps out there that anyone can installed and begin to transact. But what we do is to look for the best ones for our readers and anyone who is also on a mission for finding the best banking apps in Ghana.

All the mobile banking apps listed below are free to download through PlayStore and Appstore. However, using them will attract charges from your cell phone carrier’s messaging, and data usage.

UBA Mobile Banking App

When talking of the best mobile banking apps in Ghana, there is no doubt that the UBA Banking app is number one. I have been a lover of this app from day one.

The UBA Mobile Banking App has completely enhanced mobile banking experience to its customers. Using this app, you can easily access all the Banking services offered by this great institution.

You can quick log-in within a few seconds with the biometric option (facial and fingerprint) on devices that support this feature, send and receive money from the app, mobile top-up, check account balance, see transaction history, pay bills and many more.

The best thing that, users can easily access their bank and card statement right from this app.

Download UBA mobile banking app

ABSA Ghana

The Absa Mobile App gives you the ability to carry your bank conveniently in your pocket. when you install this app, you enjoy the freedom that comes with doing your banking from anywhere at any time for free.

With the Absa Ghana app, you can access your accounts, send money, and withdraw cash any time you wish to do so.

No need to visit the bank hall for that. Buy airtime and pay your bills directly from your phone, use your Mobile Wallet to pay for goods and services on the fly, check your balances and transaction history at the comfort of your home.

Download ABSA Ghana app

Fidelity Mobile Banking

Another great app that is loved by many mobile banking app users is the fidelity mobile banking app. Fidelity bank has been one of the fastest-growing banking services in Ghana and it is of no surprise that their app is liked by many of the users.

With the app, you have nothing to worry about. No more hustles that people go through before having access to their balance or transaction details, especially when they travel to a place in which the bank has no branch.

The app allows you easy access to all your accounts at Fidelity Bank Ghana while enabling you to make secure transactions and payments. Manage your money with convenient, safe and easy to use the mobile app from Fidelity Bank Ghana Ltd.

Download the Fidelity Mobile Banking app

UMB SpeedApp

Just like any of the above-mentioned apps, the UMB SpeedApp has also come and added to the list of the best apps we have here in Ghana. The UMB SeedApp gives Customers the benefit of monitoring a real-time account balance in a secure and simplified way.

When you install the app, you can:
- Check Account Balances
- Check Transaction History
- Airtime top-up for Self & Others
- Bill Payment Services
- Request Services – Statement, Cheque Book, etc.
- Locate Branch & ATM
- Product Information
- Bancassurance Services
- Funds Transfer Services
- Loan Services
- Investment Services
- Card Services
- Standing Order Services
- Forex Rates
Download the UMB SpeedApp

ADB Mobile Banking 2.0

This is an app offered by the Agric Development Bank of Ghana. The app is good for accessing all the services provided by this bank.

From checking of an account balance to getting instant access to all the transactions conducted with the bank. Transfer funds, view loans details and deposit balances, confirm cheques, order cheque books and access forex rates while saving time and cost.

Below are some of the things you can do with the app:
1. View recent transactions and check your balances
2. Pay someone new or someone you’ve paid before
3. Transfer money between own accounts
4. Perform instant payment to other banks
5. View term deposit
6. View loan balances
7. Reset forgotten password
8. Pay bills online
9. Air time top-up
10. Account statements
11. Forex Rates
12. Find your nearest branch or cash machine
Download the ADB Mobile Banking 2.0

Slydepay

Slydepay is not affiliated to any bank but has the all in one integration of most of the banking service in Ghana. The app has come to make the life of an ordinary Ghanaian easy and simple. People who were previously considered unbanked can now use this app to make all the transaction that any bank account user could do.

Using the Slydepay mobile banking app, you can pay bills, transfer money from the app, top-up Airtime from any service provider, cross transfer cash from one mobile money service provider to the other, link and Verify your debit/credit card in your Slyde account and keep track of all your transactions in one place.

Download Slydepay

Final Words

Banks keep adding new features to make your banking experience a favourable one on these apps. Each update from the developers comes with new features or make an improvement to some already existing feature. It is also worth mentioning that, some features mention in these apps (like fingerprint-based features) may not work on all device due to compatibility issues.

But what we do know is that you can have some of the basic ones, when you install your desired app.
August 18, 2019
Wave Money Transfer: Send Mobile Money To Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya
Money transfer from the USA, UK, Canada and other European countries to Africa can sometimes be hectic and time-wasting, especially with the, increase in cybercrime and the introduction of measures to counter money laundering in the system.

A lot of people abroad find it difficult to send money to their relatives and loved ones in Africa. Some also tried in the past and have had bad experiences with some of the companies.

MoneyGram used to be the best but these days because of the bad experience and other limitations from this company, a lot of people are looking for other alternatives for sending money from abroad to Africa.

If you have your relative abroad and want he or she to send you cash without going through all the difficulties then this post is for you.

This pot is going to introduce you to a company that offers the best service when it comes to sending money from abroad to Africa. This company we are going to talk about in this article is wave money transfer.

Wave is a company that centres in sending money to African countries like Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda using a mobile app. Wave was founded in the year 2014 by a team of young engineers who love and live in Africa.

During this period, the platform has grown to become a fully functional money transfer service with much improvement in security. This makes Wave the world’s leading remitters to East and West Africa today.

Wave so far has the best cost-effective service as compared to other companies in this filed. According to wave, they don’t charge any transaction fees and that all their transactions are encrypted so your personal information is always secure.

Unlike other companies which charge transaction fees, wave makes their “profit” on the exchange rate.

Features of the App
1. Instant, NO FEE transfers from your debit card to mobile money accounts in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, & Kenya
2. Send money easily and quickly as a text message
3. 24/7 Personal support to all customers
4. Real-time updates on the status of your transfer so you always know where your money is
How To Get Started With Wave App

Wave uses the mobile app technology which can be downloaded from Google Play for Android and the App Store for iOS.

Once the wave app is installed on your mobile device, you need to register by following some simple process which includes registering your debit card.

After a successful registration on the app, you can instantly send money directly from your mobile in the US, UK or Canadian to Ghana, Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania with completely no transfer fees.

How To Send Money to Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya With Wave App

To send money using this app, first, open the app from your phone menu and then enter your recipient details (Name and Phone)

Now choose how much money you want to transfer and press ‘Send.’

Once everything goes well, your recipient in Africa will receive the money on their mobile instantly!

Now, this recipient can go to any mobile money venture and cash out the money sent. This is mostly possible in Ghana and Kenya. But with some countries like Nigeria, the receiver of the money can also cash it out at the bank and the cashing out process should also be fast and instant.
March 13, 2019
Compete in the Betway Fintech Challenge to win GHS 20,000
Innovative online sports betting company Betway, has launched a three-phase competition, titled the Betway Fintech Challenge, with the winner taking home GHS 20,000.

Betway, whose success can be attributed to the ease-of-access, have introduced for sports betting fans using digital platforms from banking and security to betting, announced the competition today at the Accra Digital Centre.

The contest, is open to legal Ghanaian residents aged 18 and above and would accept applications from 19th February to 8th March this year.

This competition consists of five (5) entry categories:
1. Customer Connection & Experience Innovation – Solutions that enable merchants and customers to make payments in new ways. Any product that meets the need for cheaper, faster and easier payments processing capable of engaging and activating the under-served and under-banked populations.
2. Data-driven Design – Solutions that are characterized by their capacity to leverage the data gathered in a primary business into financial services and may reduce transaction costs and improve decision-making, including using analytics to enhance risk and customer segmentation decisions.
3. Investment & Wealth Management – Solutions that will enable the provision of wealth management/investment services in new and unique ways.
4. Blockchain – Solutions that will use the concept and principles of blockchain technology to build trust and transparency in financial services that will promote greater financial inclusion.
5. Organizational or Process Transformation – Solutions that focus on disrupting a traditional process in any industry that requires payments and new ways to enhance service delivery.
Shortlisted finalists would be taken through training and workshops designed to equip them with knowledge on raising funds, pitching, branding and marketing amongst others, as well as new models and applications in the financial services space.

To enter into the Betway Fintech Challenge, interested persons should visit the challenge page or pick up a form from the Concept Stores at Adabraka in Accra and Amakom in Kumasi.

The five finalists will be invited to pitch their start-up vision to a panel of judges. At the end of each pitch, the judges will evaluate finalists based on problems addressed, market size and growth potential, differentiated solution and performance and traction with customers.

Three winners will be announced on May 17 where the grand winner, first runner-up and second runner up will take home GHS 20,000, GHS 15,000 and GHS 10,000 respectively and all the final five will receive GHS 1,000.

Speaking at the launch, Betway Country Manager of Operations, Magnus Rex Danquah Jnr. stated that the main objective of the challenge was to create a competitive environment for entrepreneurs to come up with solutions to help address challenges in bringing Ghanaian society to adopt digital mediums when it comes to banking, transacting, personal finance and investing.

“The Betway Fintech Challenge will offer developers in Ghana an opportunity to design applications which will help address some of these problems identified in our society,” he said.
February 19, 2019
Ecobank Launches ‘Ecobank Xpress Money Promotion’ for easier money transfers

Ecobank Ghana in its effort to work around the cash-lite and financial inclusion mentioned by the government has taken a step further to launch Ecobank Xpress Money Promotion as an incentive to provide an enabling financial environment for sustained economic growth.

Ecobank Xpress Account is needed to give Ghanaians the platform to transact business and make payments across 34 countries online.

According to the Managing Director of Ecobank Dan Sackey, the Xpress Account is “one of the surest ways by which we can contribute to making Ghana a cash-lite, society.”

“If the country does not need to print note of currency, we are saving the resources of the country. It is a must that Ghanaians engage in cash-lite economy and indeed cashless communities,” he urged.

Speaking at a press launch, Mr. Dan Sackey said the Ecobank mobile application sets the pace in the banking sector to take in Ghana’s unbanked population; adding that the financial inclusion campaign requires a concerted effort and cannot be done alone.

The Ecobank Express Account is a self-service, real-time, online digital account or wallet that is easily operated on the mobile phone.

With a registered SIM, one can download the Ecobank Mobile App, open an Ecobank Xpress Account instantly and start transacting business.

“Currently, you can withdraw or deposit money into your Xpress account from any of the over 1,500 designated Ecobank Xpress Point locations around the country. You can also send and receive money to and from any bank account or mobile money wallet in Ghana as well as send and receive money across the 34 countries we operate within Africa,” Mr Sackey stated.

Explaining how the promotion works, Head of Consumer Banking at Ecobank, Tara Squire said a deposit of Ghc50 or more into the Ecobank Xpress Account at any Xpress Point gives the customer the chance to win their share of over Ghc500,000 in cash and instant airtime or data.

“The Ecobank Xpress Money Promotion is aimed at rewarding customers with a deposit of Ghc50 or more. Every week, 133 customers will be rewarded and a deposit of Ghc50 into your Xpress Account gives you one slot and so the more the money, the more your chance to win big. First deposit attracts instant reward in the form of airtime or data. The interest rate on this promotion is 4 percent and it is running now up to March 8, 2019,” he explained.

He reiterated that the launch is a mass drive aimed at encouraging customers and the public to use the Ecobank Xpress Account for payments in place of cash transactions; thus the Xpress Point has created job opportunities for Ghanaians.

“Non-customers are encouraged to open the Ecobank Xpress Account instantly, fund it and use it for transactions for cash prizes as the promotion lasts for 3 months,” he added.

December 11, 2018
All Set for Ghana’s Biggest Night in eCommerce
All is now set for the biggest night in Ghana’s ecommerce industry as nearly 200 guests and nominees gear up for the maiden Ghana eCommerce Awards tomorrow at the Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel!

Organized by OML Africa and under the theme, “Celebrationg Excellence and Innovation in Ghana’s Online Business Industry”, this important event will see over 30 individuals and organizations walking up the stage to win the bragging rights and a deserved recognition of their hardwork.

Some Of The Categories Are:
- Best Male Ecommerce Entrepreneur
- Best Online Retailer Of The Year
- Best New Online Retailer
- Best Small Independent Retailer (2-10 Employees)
- Best Online Retail Marketing
- Best Site Optimization & Design
- Best Mobile Ecommerce Experience
- Best Ecommerce Innovation
- Best Multi-channel Retailer
- Best E-government Experience
- Best Social Media Campaign
- Best Omni-channel Customer Service
- Best In-store Initiative
- Best Delivery/courier Service-ecommerce
- Melcom Best Female Ecommerce Entrepreneur
- Best Ecommerce Payment Company/fintech
- Best Innovation In Ecommerce-payments
- Esoko Best Online Food Delivery Platform
- Best Online Hotel Booking Site
- Best Online Taxi
- Best Online Betting Site
- Best Bitcoin Company
Honorary Awards
- Best eCommerce Entrepreneur
- Best eCommerce Entrepreneur
- Best Ghanaian-Owned eCommerce Company
- Pioneering Role in Development of Ecommerce in Ghana
- Outstanding Contribution to Fighting Cyber Fraud
- Outstanding Contribution to Fighting Cyber Fraud (Corporate Division)
- Outstanding Contribution to the Digitized Agriculture
- Best Online Superstore of the Year
- The Entertainment
It will be an enchanting night of poetry, cultural extravaganza mixed with modern Ghanaian r&b and soul, with the likes of legendary Rhyme Sonny, budding songstress Mabiina and the silky smooth Trigmatic all performing on the night!

Tickets!

So, join us for the celebration of the year! Come cheer your favourite online shops and their teams to victory! Tickets are GHC550 per ticket with huge discounts for double or group tickets.
Call 0206367515 or click hereor email: [email protected] or dial 714*42#

Programme

6.30-7.30pm Registration/ Cultural Display/ Business Networking

7.30 pm Organizers’ Speech

7.35 pm Dinner/ Live Band featuring Mabiina

8.35 pm Poetry-Rhyme Sonny

8.40 pm Honorary Awards

9.00 pm Trigmatic Musical Performance

9.15 pm Competitive Awards

10.15 pm DJ’s Jam till u Drop

Almost every household has an unsolved Rubiks Cube but you can esily solve it learning a few algorithms.
November 29, 2018
Visa and leading banks bring mobile payments to Ghana

Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, in partnership with leading Ghanaian banks, has announced the launch of Visa on mobile, its innovative mobile payment service in Ghana.

From today, the partnership commences with four Ghanaian banks who have either enabled Visa on mobile on their mobile banking applications and/or have acquired merchants to be able to accept the service. CAL Bank and Zenith Bank customers will access the service via their banking application. Ecobank customers have the USSD and banking application option while GTBank customers will access via USSD. Merchants aggregated through Expresspay will also accept Visa on mobile.

Visa on mobile is an easy and secure payments solution for Ghanaian customers. It allows customers to directly access funds in their bank accounts to pay merchants (person-to-merchant or P2M) or individuals (person-to-person or P2P). The payment goes straight from the consumer’s bank account into the merchant’s account and provides real-time notification to both parties at no cost. The introduction of this solution reduces cost and friction for accepting electronic payments as these mobile transactions are processed with the same scale, security and reliability as any other Visa transaction

Speaking at the launch, Oluwakemi Okusanya, Group Country Manager for Visa West Africa said, “Visa and its financial institution partners are providing the benefits of digital commerce to potentially everyone, everywhere across Ghana and the African continent, bringing more people into the formal financial system. More and more small and medium scale merchants come on board every day as they begin to understand the benefits that Visa on mobile brings, including real-time notifications of payments entering their bank account and access to sales and transactions history.”

Adoma Peprah, Country Manager for Visa Ghana said, “According to the Global Findex report, Ghana is among the most successful and fastest growing mobile money markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. In four years, mobile money penetration rose from 13 per cent to 39 per cent. The launch of Visa on mobile is significant to the expansion of an already vibrant mobile payment ecosystem as it is accepted at thousands of locations across the country, with plans to have more banks and merchants join the network over the next few months. We have communications campaigns lined up for the coming months to support our bank partners, merchants and educate customers on Visa on mobile at various locations across Ghana”

The Visa on mobile implementation in Ghana benefited from the Visa Developer Platform, which allowed all partner banks the ability to integrate the Visa on mobile APIs directly into their mobile banking apps. While rolling out a new solution with a bank typically can take a very long time from development to implementation and testing, utilizing the Visa Developer Platform interface reduced the time taken significantly. This helped to speed up the number of banks who have been able to roll out the Visa on mobile solution in Ghana.

Visa on mobile is now live in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Rwanda and Egypt with plans to launch in other African countries underway.

November 23, 2018
Ghana eCommerce Awards: 7 Shortlisted for Melcom Best Female Entrepreneur Award
OML Africa, organizers of the maiden Ghana eCommerce Awards, recognizes entrepreneurs are exceptional people and they build a better working world for all of us. They dare to dream that life could be different. They have the courage and passion to make their dreams a reality – to build something of lasting value that benefits us all.

The Melcom “Best Female eCommerce Entrepreneur of the Year” recognizes the most exceptional among a unique group of people who have made and continue to make strides in doing business online in Ghana.

The nominee must be a female, resident in Ghana and who is an owner-manager of a private or public company, primarily responsible for the recent performance of the company and has been an active member of senior management for at least a year.

Judging Criteria

Criteria used by the judges to select the Female eCommerce Entrepreneur Of The Year winners are:
- Entrepreneurial Spirit
- Value Creation
- Strategic Direction
- National and Global Impact
- Innovation
- Personal Integrity/Purpose-driven Leadership
Nominees

Titi Ademola, Founder, Creative Director, KikI Clothing

Titi, a Ghanaian/ Nigerian fashion designer, is the brain behind KIKI Clothing. is the brainchild of Titi Ademola.

After undertaking a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from the London College of Fashion, Titi transferred her degree to the American InterContinental University in Atlanta, Georgia, with a concentration in Marketing.

Staying true to her desire to relocate back to West Africa, KIKI Clothing was eventually born with a focus dedicated to creating African inspired collections that are meticulously made in Ghana.

To vote for Titi, text GEA BFE TITI ADEMOLA to 1903 on all mobile networks

Anju Adwani, Founder, Papyrus Creations

Since the founding of Papyrus Creations in 2016, Anju has grown to become a leading name in the gifting sector of Ghana.

Her passion and dedication for personalizing led her to establish an online portal which gives access to clients to customize and order stationery items and gifting products according to their choices.

Inclined to her spirit for innovative and unique business solutions, Anju is solely responsible for the corporate strategies at the firm.

To vote for Anju, text GEA BFE ANJU to 1903 on all mobile networks

Esther Asante, Founder, Organic Trade & Investments

Esther isn’t someone content with just one job; in fact, she’s not even satisfied running just one company.
In 2009, this powerhouse entrepreneur founded Virtual Linguistic Solutions. She spent the next several years developing it into one of the leading copywriting and translating companies in Ghana.

But by 2015, she was ready to spread her wings even more and decided to start another company: Organic Trade & Investments (OTI).

Asante’s goal for OTI is to build a responsible online store that specialized in promoting and selling organic, non-GMO commodities, all of which is sourced directly from the small towns and villages where the raw ingredients are produced.

To vote for Esther, text GEA BFE ESTHER to 1903 on all mobile networks

Farida Nana Efua Bedwei, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Logiciel (Ghana) Ltd

Farida is Co-Founder of Logiciel, Software Company developing banking systems for the microfinance industry. Her role involves assessing the industry and coming up with practical solutions, which are easy to use by persons with no formal banking training. She believes the informal sector, which makes up between 60%-70% of the population across Africa, deserve the same banking services as those in the formal sector.

Prior to co-founding Logiciel, Farida worked in the telecom software industry, developing mobile gateways and services for mobile networks and content providers.

To vote for Farida, text GEA BFE FARIDA to 1903 on all mobile networks

Regina Honu, CEO, Soronko Academy

Regina Honu is a Ghanaian Social Entrepreneur, software developer and founder of Soronko Solutions, a software development company in Ghana.[1] She opened Soronko Academy, the first coding and Human-centered design school for children and young adults in West Africa.

Regina has received multiple awards for her tireless efforts, including being named by CNN as one of the 12 inspirational women who rock STEM. She was also named as one of the six women making an impact in Tech in Africa and one of the ten female entrepreneurs to watch in emerging economies.

To vote for Regina, text GEA BFE REGINA to 1903 on all mobile networks

Mabel Simpson, Founder, mSimps

Mabel Simpson is one of the most celebrated entrepreneurs in Ghana. Mabel started mSimps two years after graduating from the university with about 200 Ghana Cedis ($50) and a sewing machine her granny gave her as a gift.

mSimps, an accessory manufacturing company and creative enterprise in Accra, now manufactures handmade leather and wax print handbags, laptop bags, backpacks, leather slippers, loafers, travel luggage and throw pillows with the primary goal of producing quality and innovative Made-In-Ghana products for the global market.

To vote for Mabel, text GEA BFE MABEL to 1903 on all mobile networks

Evita Joseph Asare, Founder, ejbeautystore.com

Having received two awards as a pacesetter in online retailing of makeup products, the Evita Joseph Beauty Store continues to gain recognition in the Ghanaian beauty industry.

The story of the brand begins with the story of Evita Joseph Asare, an erstwhile mechanical engineer whose one visit to Paris changed the course of her life. Starting from an engineering class of only 4 women in a class size of 126, Evita has channelled her passion for designing and building machinery to designing and producing makeup products to enhance the modern woman.

To vote for Evita, text GEA BFE EVITA to 1903 on all mobile networks

Event Details

Ghana eCommerce Awards
Date: 30 Nov 2018
Venue: Alisa Hotel, Ridge-Accra

Your Ticket Includes:

Pre Dinner Reception
- 3-Course Dinner
- Drinks Served all Night
- Awards Entertainment
- Awards Ceremony
Single Ticket: GHC550 (Group Discounts Available)

For more enquiries, call 0206367515 or 0302 973370 or email: [email protected]
November 20, 2018
Ghana’s Top eCommerce Companies Vie for “Best Online Retailer” Award

Sixteen eCommerce Websites are vying for the bragging rights as Ghana’s Best Online Retailer of the Year at the upcoming maiden Ghana eCommerce Awards scheduled for Accra on 30th November under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence and Innovation in Ghana’s Online Business Industry”. This prestigious awards is organized by OML Africa, leaders in high profile corporate events since 2010.

A roll call of this important category is arguably a list of the best e-commerce platforms in Ghana made up of Zoobashop, Jumia, Tonaton, Electromart, Huxley Black (myazugu.com), Bernard and Associates (mallghana.com), Kikuu and Melcomonline.

Others are Superprice.com, Africa eCommerce Group (mumandchild.com), Africakart.com, pizarea.com, ahwenepa.com, Rosefabricsgh.com, Ann’s Web and Graphics and Inventelectronics.com.

Nominations were submitted either directly from a company, from an involved individual, or from a third party. In the event that a third party nominates a company or individual, the organizers contact the nominated company or individual and ask the nominee to review the nomination for accuracy and, if necessary, provide any missing documentation.

According to a spokesman of the organizers, “The Best Online Retailer of the Year, arguably the most enviable category at this year’s Ghana eCommerce Awards, is open to new and established online retailers who demonstrate best practice in merchandising, service, functionality and customer experience. Judging will be based not on overall size but on efficiency, ingenuity, dedication to customer experience and proven business success.”

He added, “Some other criteria guiding judges for this top category are quality of products sold, payment options, return policies, usability/ site navigation, downloading speed, security, customer reviews, contact support, etc. To be crowned the king of all eCommerce Websites of the Year in Ghana, the winner should also satisfy a public vote by SMS. This constitutes 40% of the total verdict with the hand-picked panel of judges having 60%”.

The Ghana eCommerce Awards will also have nearly 30 award winners on the night set aside to identify, celebrate and reward outstanding individuals and organizations who have blazed the trail and shown excellence and innovation in Ghana’s online business industry. Online merchants, online retailers, fintechs, digital payments, courier services and other stakeholders of this burgeoning online industry are expected to throng the plush Alisa Hotel in a night of healthy competition, fun, food and great entertainment.

Some other competitive award categories up for grabs include Best New Online Retailer, Best Site Optimization and Design, Best Mobile eCommerce Experience, Best E-Government Experience, Best Innovation in eCommerce (Payments), Best Online Taxi, Best Mobile Banking App, and Best eCommerce Payment Company/Fintech.

Others are Best Online Real Estate of the Year, Best Online Food Delivery Platform of the Year, Best Bitcoin Company of the Year, Best Online Hotel Booking Site of the Year, Best Mobile eCommerce Experience, Best Multi-Channel Retailer, Best Delivery/Courier (eCommerce), etc.

One of the key highlights of this year’s Ghana eCommerce Awards night is who will be inducted into Ghana’s eCommerce Hall of Fame based on their pioneering role in the development of the industry.

For more information, to book a ticket or VIP Table and all other inquiries, visit www.ghanaecommerceawards.com or call 0206367515 or email: [email protected]

November 7, 2018
MoneyGram Wins Award for Innovation in Money Transfers in Ghana

MoneyGram, a leading global money transfer service in Ghana, has been recognized for its innovation in money transfer with the Mobex Africa Innovation in Money Transfer Award. The award acknowledges MoneyGram’s continuous innovation in enabling remittances directly to bank accounts and into mobile wallets, which were both introduced this year.

MoneyGram was selected from a competitive nominee pool including major players like GHIPSS, Expresspay, Ecobank, Barclays Bank & Alexpay. “Remittances are key to the Ghanaian economy, and MoneyGram is a leader in this market,” said Patrick Appiah, MoneyGram’s regional head of Anglophone West Africa.

“Over the past year, we have invested heavily in this market and now are proud to offer multi-channel convenience to our receivers in Ghana. From Paga to Accra, or Elubo to Aflao, customers can receive money from loved ones abroad either in any of our 2,000 partner locations with banks in Ghana or directly into their bank account or mobile wallet.”

The Mobex Innovation Awards is organized by Coasters Company, to honour excellence, innovation and creativity of companies & individuals helping transform lives with the use of technology. Coasters Company also organizes the annual Mobex Africa ICT & Technology Expo in Ghana & Liberia.

About MoneyGram International

MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com.

October 12, 2018