The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth has partnered with MTN Group Fintech and Arifu to support the digital transformation of about one million small businesses in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda.
The initiative, part of Mastercard’s Strive global program, aims to provide small business owners with essential digital skills and access to digital financial services and marketplaces.
The program, delivered through the MoMo Coach chatbot, offers free digital upskilling content across popular messaging platforms.
It addresses the significant barriers that small businesses in sub-Saharan Africa, especially those impacted by the pandemic, have faced in adopting digital tools.
As of December 2022, only 27.65% of businesses in the region had adopted digital tools, highlighting the need for such initiatives.
The MoMo Coach solution, powered by Arifu’s Grasp Platform, provides practical, actionable tips to help small business owners unlock growth opportunities in the digital economy.
“Small businesses are vital to Africa’s growth, and we are delighted to catalyze this partnership to equip almost one million small business owners with the digital skills and knowledge essential for thriving in an increasingly digital economy,” said Subhashini Chandran, Senior Vice President of Social Impact for Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard.
The program has already reached over 930,000 MTN customers, merchants, and agents in Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, with more than 75,000 small business owners accessing free digital courses and over 45,000 actively engaging with MoMo Coach.