In the connected economy, Nigeria’s OmniBiz Inks now works with brands like Nestle, Kellogs and Coke to help them track and improve their sales in the African country.
Also, payments network Strike is announcing an integration with Shopify, enabling global merchants to accept bitcoin payments, and the Central Bank of Kenya is working with the country’s mobile operators to enable mobile payments across networks.
Nigeria’s omnibiz signs deals with Coke, Nestle
Some of Nigeria’s largest consumer goods companies have reached an agreement with e-commerce platform Omnibiz to boost sales and cut costs after an e-commerce boom fueled by COVID-19 lockdowns and smartphone adoption was triggered.
The Lagos-based fintech has signed more than 12 companies operating in Nigeria – including Coca-Cola, Kellog, Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble – that will use Omnibiz’ platform, which tracks sales from distributors to retailers.
Omnibiz said the deal gives it a chance to digitize its new customers’ local annual revenue, which totals $1.2 billion and accounts for about 3% of the country’s total fresh produce and packaged food market.
Shopify, strike to allow bitcoin payments
The Strike payment network will be integrated with Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify, allowing global merchants to accept bitcoin payments.
The integration aims to make it easier for merchants by accepting digital currency in the form of US dollars and saving on processing fees through cash final settlements.
Lightning Network will convert Bitcoin payments from the Strike network into US dollars, a move that should limit digital currency price volatility. Jack Mallers, Strike’s founder and CEO, added that the integration will also include offline retailers, including Walmart, McDonald’s and many other US companies.
Kenyan mobile operators join the Payments Network
Mobile operators in Kenya are joining an initiative by the country’s central bank to integrate Kenyan payment systems by enabling mobile payments across networks.
In the initial phase of the project, Telkom Kenya Ltd. and Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd. Pay for products and services through Safaricom Plc’s M-Pesa, one of Kenya’s largest mobile money platforms.
The Central Bank of Kenya said it wants to see seamless payments across networks so customers can send and receive money from any bank or fintech. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of mobile money transactions increased from 23% of gross domestic product to 60%, the bank said. Last year there were more than 2.2 billion transactions valued at more than 6.9 trillion shillings ($60 billion).
Acorn Finance and LMN team up to fund home improvement jobs
Landscape Management Network (LMN), which provides business management software to contractors, and home improvement lender Acorn Finance have partnered to offer financing to contractors and their customers.
With LMN Lend Home Improvement Financing, contractors using LMN’s software can grant their clients access to Acorn Finance’s marketplace for financing options up to $100,000.
“Consumers continue to invest in their properties,” LMN CEO Mark Bradley said in the announcement. “As a contractor, you want to be able to offer your customers the best possible experience. Knowing that you can now easily walk them through financing options as part of the estimate adds tremendous value to clients and positions landscape contractors as true partners in the renovation.”
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NEW PYMNTS DATA: WHY CONSUMER PATIENT PORTALS BECOME TABLE INSERT
Above: Patient portals are now a must for healthcare providers – so much so that 61% of patients interested in using the tools say they would switch to a healthcare provider that offers one. For Accessing Healthcare: Easing Digital Frictions In The Patient Journey, a collaboration between PYMNTS and Experian Health, PYMNTS surveyed 2,333 consumers to learn how healthcare providers can alleviate digital pain points to improve patient care and satisfaction.
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