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Nigerian’s Utility Bills Surged by N733.74 Billion in Three Years- NIBSS

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Data obtained from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), revealed an increase of 387.19 percent in the usage of e-bills payments from N189.50bn recorded in the first four months of 2019 to N923.24 billion recorded in the same period of 2022, leading to N733.74 billion increment within three years.

Investors King gathered that the channel of payment recorded sustained growth as N716.99bn was paid between January and April of 2021, while N923.24bn was paid in the corresponding period of 2022.

E-bills payment, according to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, is an accessible and smooth account-based e-bill payment channel with online real-time transaction reporting, biller notice, and easy reconciliation.

It said, “e-BillsPay is an electronic bill payment platform that facilitates the payment of Bills, Fees, Levies, Premiums, and Subscriptions, etc. by the banking public through electronic payment channels provided and managed by Banks.”

Accordingly, e-BillsPay touch points include bank branches, Internet banking, mobile banking, USSD, and agent networks.

The National President of the Association of Mobile Money Agents in Nigeria, Victor Olojo, commented on the growth of the payment channel, saying that mobile usage was driving the increase in e-BillsPay.

He said, “Primarily, the increase in mobile usage and mobile payment has helped very aggressively in e-bills payment as people now have access to mobile phones and are now able to do payments themselves.

“Secondly, financial inclusion; more people have access to finance and that way they can link their accounts to their mobile numbers to carry out transactions. Also, a bulk of e-bills payments have to do with utilities, PayTV, and power. More Nigerians have been able to embrace mobile banking.”

According to him, this uptick is likely to persist as payment ease improves. He went on to say that as the population grows, more people would be able to use this method of payment.

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Why is Cryptocurrency Becoming Popular in Africa?

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Cryptocurrency

The year 2022 has proven to be a challenging one for digital asset and cryptocurrency markets, as the value of major cryptocurrencies has dropped sharply after reaching all-time highs last year.

In addition, the collapse of the Terra stablecoin in May dealt a further blow to investors and market participants, eroding trust in the emerging space. However, the crypto market is still getting a lot of attention, worldwide. In 2023, more and more South Africans are interested in Bitcoin, the best Crypto South Africa.

So, why is cryptocurrency becoming popular in Africa and what does the future hold for it in the continent?

Why is cryptocurrency becoming popular in Africa?

Cryptocurrency is growing in Africa due to a few reasons:

  • Lack of Access to Traditional Banking: Many Africans lack access to traditional banking due to high fees, lack of infrastructure and high levels of poverty. Cryptocurrency provides them with a way to participate in the global financial system without needing a bank account.
  • Currency Devaluation: Many African countries have experienced significant devaluations of their national currencies. Cryptocurrency can provide a safeguard against this volatility since it isn’t tied to any particular nation’s currency.
  • Remittances: Africa receives a substantial amount of remittances from abroad. Cryptocurrency provides for faster, cheaper, and more secure fund transfers compared to traditional methods.
  • Youthful Population: Africa boasts a young and tech-savvy population eager to embrace new technologies. Cryptocurrency is seen as an opportunity to join the global economy and achieve financial freedom.
  • Innovation: Africa has an emerging community of entrepreneurs and developers creating cutting-edge cryptocurrency solutions to tackle local issues like corruption, lack of transparency, and financial exclusion.

Overall, cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly popular in Africa due to its potential to provide financial inclusion, security and innovation to a continent with significant economic challenges.

Crypto fills gaps left by legacy finance

Cryptocurrency holds the potential to fill a void left by legacy finance in Africa, where traditional banking systems have historically failed to reach remote and underbanked areas, leaving many Africans without access to financial services. Cryptocurrency offers an answer to this problem by enabling anyone with a smartphone to participate in the global financial system.

Furthermore, many African currencies have seen dramatic devaluations, making them unreliable as stores of value. Cryptocurrency offers a more stable alternative that is not tied to any particular national currency.

Additionally, remittances from abroad provide an important source of income for many African families. Unfortunately, traditional remittance systems can be slow, expensive, and vulnerable to fraudulence. Cryptocurrency provides a faster, cheaper, and more secure alternative for sending and receiving money.

What is the future of cryptocurrencies in Africa?

The future of cryptocurrency in Africa looks promising, yet the landscape remains somewhat unpredictable and unpredictable. Nevertheless, here are some key factors that could influence the adoption and growth of cryptocurrencies in Africa:

  • Economic Instability: Many African countries experience high inflation rates and currency devaluation, making cryptocurrencies an appealing option for those seeking a more secure store of value.
  • Lack of Financial Infrastructure: Much of Africa’s population is unbanked or underbanked, making it difficult for them to access traditional financial services. Cryptocurrencies provide a way to transact and store value without relying on established institutions.
  • Government Regulations: The regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies in Africa is still developing, with some countries taking a more encouraging stance and others banning or restricting their use. Clear regulations would promote greater adoption of digital assets while offering legal certainty to businesses and investors.
  • Technology Adoption: As Africa’s use of mobile phones and other digital technologies grows exponentially, it could become easier for people to access and utilize cryptocurrencies.

Takeaway

Overall, it is likely that cryptocurrencies will continue to gain traction in Africa, particularly as economic and technological conditions continue to evolve. However, it is also possible that regulatory challenges or other factors could slow their adoption or limit their impact.

FAQs

Why Africa needs crypto?

The traditional banking system faces several challenges, such as heavy dependence on third-party payment intermediaries and incomplete transparency regarding transaction details. As a result, it’s probable that in the future, many peer-to-peer transactions among Africans will be conducted using cryptocurrency as the preferred platform.

Can you mine crypto in Africa?

Bitcoin mining is becoming increasingly popular in Africa as a means of boosting the economy and generating employment opportunities in the region. As a result, numerous African nations, such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, have well-established and organized mining operations that are contributing to the expansion of the local economy.

Which country is crypto-friendly?

Switzerland offers a crypto-friendly atmosphere for Bitcoin traders. In addition to permitting the use of Bitcoin, the country takes a relaxed stance toward cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, Switzerland is recognized for its high banking standards, which prioritize privacy and minimal risk.

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What is Autotrading in Metatrader 5?

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forex

You can trade on the forex market in automatic mode using trading robots. They must be written in a special MQL language so that they can be installed in the trading terminal, and they functioned without failures on this platform.

How does autotrading work in Metatrader 5?

From the point of view of a trader, in order for autotrading in Metatrader 5 to be organized without failures, it is necessary to find robots or advisors written for this trading platform.

Expert Advisors for MT5 are freely available – they can be found and downloaded. In addition, traders who are familiar with programming can write such a robot on their own by learning the MQL language. Finally, there are many developers on the net who are ready to adapt a profitable manual trading strategy to automatic trading in metatrader 5 for mac m1.

It is worth noting that the MT5 terminal itself has a free library of trading robots called CodeBase. The Metatrader 5 website has simple and step-by-step free instructions on how to download and install a robot that will automatically trade.

Finding a developer, thanks to which auto trading Metatrader 5 can be created for an individual trading strategy, is also not difficult. Programmers writing robots for MT5 can be found on freelance exchanges.

How to create a robot for automatic trading in Metatrader 5?

The official website of the Metatrader 5 trading platform has detailed videos on how to write a robot according to your trading strategy, which can then be launched in this terminal. It is suitable for beginners and amateurs.

For professional developers of trading robots, Metatrader 5 also provides special features and tools:

  • a special programming language, MQL5 for writing robots and advisors;
  • MetaEditor – for Metatrader 5, a strategy editor is provided, in which the code is highlighted, there is a compiler and a debugger;
  • as in the previous version, there is a strategy tester for Metatrader 5, which allows you to manually check your strategy for profitability and make sure that the created robot is profitable;
  • finally, MQL5 has a developer community that allows you to share experience, get answers to questions and improve your robots and expert advisors.

Such auto trading has many advantages of features and clear advantages. However, it is worth knowing that there are some disadvantages. Many experts do not advise agreeing to immediate synchronization, because in this case the risks increase, so it is better to wait for more favourable conditions in such situations.

Despite this, the service allows you to automatically copy trades of traders, which is a good tool for potential earnings and increasing your savings. The convenience lies in the fact that you can stop the subscription at any time, despite the fact that changes in indicators are analysed around the clock and without any interruptions, which completely eliminates the «human factor» and any errors associated with human intervention.

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Navigating Risk When Investing in African Stocks

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South Africa

Stocks and shares can be a fantastic way to make extra money and for many it is a lucrative career path. There are many different stock markets to invest in and it can be difficult to determine which ones are worthwhile.

There is an emerging trend of people investing in African stocks due to the economic boom many countries on the continent are experiencing. However, African stocks do have risk attached which may be greater than in other parts of the world. In this article, we take a look at why there are risks, and what you can do to mitigate them.

African stocks are historically riskier

First, it’s important to understand why there is an inherent risk when investing in African stocks. Of course, trading any stock carries a risk. Even the most informed businesspeople cannot reliably predict stock values and how they will fluctuate.

This risk is often magnified, however, due to the occasionally volatile nature of governments within African nations. Although many countries are now booming and enjoying economic stability, there is still a great deal of unrest. In the last decade, we have had governments overthrown and entire countries thrown into turmoil. Unsurprisingly, this has a huge impact on stock values.

Excellent dividends can be made by choosing the right stocks

Despite these potential barriers, provided you invest sensibly and consider the often-volatile nature of the continent, then you can make consistent dividends and complete some high-value stock trades. Below, we have listed five simple things that will help you navigate risk when investing in African stocks:

1. The JSE Top 40 is a great place to scout for profiting companies

The JSE Top 40 is a major stock index which is composed of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa. This is typically a great place to start and you can invest in JSE Top 40 companies with relative confidence due to their status and inclusion on the list.

Examples of current companies on the JSE Top 40 include Anglo American, Old Mutual, Vodacom, Woolworths, Bidvest Group and Clicks Group. Over the past ten years, the performance of JSE Top 40 companies has provided consistent yields and continued to improve year upon year suffering only a slight blip during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Natural resource companies are a great option

The continent of Africa is rich with natural resources and nations have sought to exploit these over the decades to boost their economies. As a result, there are many opportunities to buy stocks and shares in natural resource gathering companies.

This represents a relatively stable investment as the reserves of natural resources are certainly not close to running out. However, it is always prudent to check because investing in companies harvesting a resource that is nearly depleted could be disastrous.

3. Stocks typically mirror the African economy

As with most stock prices, African stocks are typically at the mercy of national economies. As climates change and economies and GDP take a plunge or grow, so do stock prices.

In times of economic crisis, businesses will often suffer, and their stock prices can drop dramatically. Many African countries now have stable governments and improved stability, so this hopefully should not be a factor. However, it is something that cannot be ignored. Investors are advised to always keep track of the general economic trends within Africa and the world.

4. Check news outlets for government stability

We have mentioned this several times, but it is one of the largest risk factors when investing in African stocks. It is a region where governments have been known to rise and fall overnight.

There have been military takeovers in Burkina Faso and attempted government coups in Guinea Bissau. Hopefully, this sort of thing is coming to an end as all of Africa is becoming much more stable and developed. Despite this, it would be short-sighted not to keep track of these things and monitor potential governmental turmoil.

Additionally, ensure you check the local news within countries because there are many factors such as rail strikes and natural disasters that can greatly affect stock values.

5. ADRs can be a great option too

Lastly, if you are an outsider looking to invest in African stocks, using American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) could be an option to consider. These are securities that allow US investors to trade in the African stock market with a greater level of security.

As you can see, there is great potential for investing in African stocks. The emergence of many strong governments, the proactive young workforce and the wealth of natural resources the continent possesses means there are numerous opportunities. It is vital that you monitor government statuses and keep track of any potential conflicts, however, as these can radically affect stock values and potentially lead to significant losses.

 

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