Michael Joseph, the former CEO of Kenyan operator Safaricom, has been appointed by the World Bank to advise on spreading the use of mobile banking.
He is the first fellow to have been chosen under the new global fellowship programme, which aims at…
Michael Joseph, the former CEO of Kenyan operator Safaricom, has been appointed by the World Bank to advise on spreading the use of mobile banking.
He is the first fellow to have been chosen under the new global fellowship programme, which aims at attracting global technical and policy experts for three months to a year to advise governments, contribute to policy analysis, promote knowledge sharing and bring solutions to countries.
The World Bank said that Joseph has been credited with the success of M-pesa, a mobile money platform to make payments and move cash at a low cost.
As a fellow, he will provide advice to the bank and governments beyond Africa on policy and regulatory issues to develop mobile banking and mobile payments.
Joseph stepped down from his CEO role at Safaricom last November after 10 years at the helm, but he remains on the board.
Joseph said that he was “delighted to work with the leading development institution and be part of the global effort to fight poverty”.
There are currently 450 million mobile subscriptions in Africa, which represents a 43% penetration rate.
The World Bank’s country director for Kenya, Johannes Zutt, said: “Sharing knowledge on telecommunications innovations, including mobile money, can make an important contribution to Africa’s reform and development.”
