That indeed how I found it works in Nigeria. You buy an upgrade card, you text the number to your family/friends elsewhere. There go to a mobile phone shop and sell it for a small loss and get their cash. Since these shops are everywhere, it's easy and there's profit in it for everyone.
Jan Chipcase has written about this in Uganda (it's called 'sente' there): http://www.janchipchase.com/blog/archives/2006/12/shareduse.html On Mobile Africa there's an interesting article that explains in detail how it works in Nigeria. www.mobileafrica.net (currently offline, can't find the exact URL). Michiel de Lange __________________ Erasmus University Rotterdam PhD researcher 'Playful Identities' Room H5-13 PO Box 1738 3000 DR Rotterdam +31 10 4088983 +31 6 53201800 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ** Have a look at my research project weblog: http://blog.bijt.org On Mar 6, 2007, at 9:39 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I am not sure about this one, but one system I have heard of is that > person A buys air-time for person B who may or may not be in the same > village, region etc. (this is easily done and many parents in > Norway do > it for their children), The innovation is that person B goes into the > local phone store and basically sells back the air time for cash. > > Rich L. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Barry Wellman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 9:15 PM > To: Ling Richard Seyler (R&I) > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [mobile-society] Kenyans to transfer money using cell > phones > > Not rich's fault, but i hate these press releases that don't say > how it > will work, or if it will work. > > Barry Wellman > _____________________________________________________________________ > > Barry Wellman S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology NetLab Director > Centre for Urban & Community Studies University of Toronto > 455 Spadina Avenue Toronto Canada M5S 2G8 fax:+1-416-978-7162 > wellman at chass.utoronto.ca http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman > for fun: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php > _____________________________________________________________________ > > > On Tue, 6 Mar 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2007 19:03:54 +0100 >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Subject: [mobile-society] Kenyans to transfer money using cell phones >> >> Hello all, >> >> This is an interesting development. It seems that money transfer via >> the mobile is being used in the third world. It may be that the > mobile >> as an electronic wallet comes there first. >> >> Rich L. >> >> Safaricom <http://www.safaricom.com/2005/default.asp> , Kenya's > biggest >> cell phone firm, on Tuesday launched a money transfer service that > will >> use short message services, which it said was the first of its >> kind in >> the world. Reuters >> <http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070306/tc_nm/kenya_safaricom_dc> > reports. >> "The product allows its 5.8 million subscribers to use their cell > phones >> to send money in the east African country where it is commonplace for >> one family member working in the city to support a whole family >> living >> in rural areas. ... Kenyans will deposit or access the money through >> Safaricom agents like supermarkets or shops situated all over the >> country. Kenya's Minister for Communication, Mutahi Kagwe, > highlighted >> the opportunity for remote communities: "This will help people in >> far-flung parts of the country who have no banking services, now > anyone >> can have a bank in their pocket." >> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070306/tc_nm/kenya_safaricom_dc >> >> >>> >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mobile-society" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/mobile-society?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
