Archive for April, 2009

Send money home swiftly, but not if home is here

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

200904071031.jpg

My sister just sent me this photo in celebrating that she got her mobile data plan working on her MTN phone.

The ad shows what an estimated 17 million people do almost every day – transfer money from mobile phone to mobile phone, mostly from a major city to family members in a village. The currency is airtime, and it can be sold for cash.

In the Western world we’ve had mobile phones and banks for ages. We can’t transfer money with our mobile phones.


Home