Africa has pioneered the use of mobile banking, with local players like M-Pesa and global corporations like Citi demonstrating how new technology can provide vital financial services to the unbanked population. Mobile money and digital wallets accessed on cellphones eliminate the need for physical cash in rural areas, where financial services are limited and carrying large amounts of cash is risky.
非洲已经有了一些令人瞩目的技术进步。十年前，通信基础设施基本上不存在。如今，每六个人就拥有一部移动电话，移动电话带来的好处远远不止于通信的便捷。非洲是移动银行的先锋，M-Pesa等本地公司和花旗银行等跨国公司证明了新技术可以为无法接触到银行的人口提供至关重要的金融服务。可以通过手机操作的移动支付和数字钱包消除了在农村地区携带实体现金的需要。由于金融服务的缺乏，在非洲农村地区携带大笔现金是很危险的。