This blog was co-authored by Annabel Schiff and Jessica Osborn both Senior Managers for the FiDA Partnership
Well over half of the world’s population is now online, with more than 3 billion people all over the world using social media each month. Social interactions that previously took place in the analogue world are increasingly happening online. The way in which social networks are deeply embedded in our lives makes them a promising foundation for digital financial services (DFS). Chinese tech companies such as Tencent — China’s social media and messaging colossus — have seized this opportunity to an extent not…
In May, the FiDA Partnership took 26 leaders from Africa’s digital finance industry to China to learn about their unprecedented FinTech boom. The week was immersive and intense, designed to allow participants to escape the boardroom and experience Chinese digital life firsthand on the streets of Beijing, in the mom-and-pop stores of Hangzhou, and the on factory floors of Guangdong. In this blog, we reflect on the key lessons.
1. Government played a critical role in providing an enabling environment
There is no doubt that China’s protectionist policies allowed local players to flourish, free from competition from global incumbents. The government also invested considerably in establishing the ecosystem to support digital…
Jessica Osborn
Partner Lead at FiDA Partnership, hosted by Caribou Digital
