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‘Leapfrogging’: a Survey of the Nature and Economic Implications of Mobile Money

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  • Janine Aron

Abstract

Mobile money is a recent financial innovation giving financial transaction services via a mobile phone, including to the unbanked global poor. Mobile money technology has spread rapidly in the developing world, “leapfrogging” the provision of formal banking services by solving the problems of weak institutional infrastructure and the cost structure of conventional banking. This survey examines the evolution of mobile money, its important role in widening financial inclusion, and the impact of regulation on the development of mobile money systems. It explores the channels of economic influence of mobile money from both a micro and a macro perspective, and presents the first critical survey of the current state of micro and macro empirical literature on the economic impact of mobile money.

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  • Janine Aron, 2017. "‘Leapfrogging’: a Survey of the Nature and Economic Implications of Mobile Money," CSAE Working Paper Series 2017-02, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:csa:wpaper:2017-02
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    2. Ajefu, Joseph B. & Massacky, Falecia, 2023. "Mobile money, child labour and school enrolment," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    3. Vladimir A. Karamychev & Jean-Marie Viaene, 2021. "M-Payments, Financial Inclusion, and Full Market Coverage," CESifo Working Paper Series 8995, CESifo.
    4. Njuguna Ndung'u, 2022. "Fintech in sub-Saharan Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-101, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Lashitew, Addisu A. & van Tulder, Rob & Liasse, Yann, 2019. "Mobile phones for financial inclusion: What explains the diffusion of mobile money innovations?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1201-1215.
    6. Riley, Emma, 2018. "Mobile money and risk sharing against village shocks," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 43-58.
    7. Sionfou Seydou Coulibaly, 2022. "An analysis of the factors affecting the financial inclusion in Côte d’Ivoire," International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies, Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 11(1), pages 69-84, January.
    8. Kabengele, Christian & Hahn, Rüdiger, 2021. "Institutional and firm-level factors for mobile money adoption in emerging markets–A configurational analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    9. Johnen, Constantin & Parlasca, Martin & Mußhoff, Oliver, 2023. "Mobile money adoption in Kenya: The role of mobile money agents," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Ummahani Akter & S. M. Rakibul Anwar & Riduanul Mustafa & Zulfiqure Ali, 2021. "Revisiting the Impact of Mobile Banking in Financial Inclusion Among the Developing Countries," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(2), pages 62-74, April.
    11. Manuela NGABA, 2021. "How does mobile money affect the use of informal remittance channels in Sub-Saharan Africa?," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 53, pages 123-146.
    12. Luc Jacolin & Joseph Keneck Massil & Alphonse Noah, 2021. "Informal sector and mobile financial services in emerging and developing countries: Does financial innovation matter?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(9), pages 2703-2737, September.
    13. Luc Jacolin & Massil Keneck & Alphonse Noah, 2019. "Informal Sector and Mobile Financial Services in Developing Countries: Does Financial Innovation Matter?," Working papers 721, Banque de France.
    14. Bair, Sabrine & Miquel-Florensa, Josepa & Ozyilmaz, Hakan, 2024. "Two-Sided Financial Technology Underadoption: Experimental Evidence from Jordan," TSE Working Papers 24-1582, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    15. A. T. M. Hasibul Islam & Syed Abul Basher & A. K. Enamul Haque, 2022. "The impact of mobile money on long-term poverty: evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 24(2), pages 436-455, December.
    16. Serge Ky & Clovis Rugemintwari & Alain Sauviat, 2019. "Friends or foes? Mobile money interaction with formal and informal finance," Working Papers hal-02000982, HAL.
    17. Joël Cariolle & David A Carroll, 2022. "The Use of Digital for Public Service Provision in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers hal-03004535, HAL.
    18. Avom, Désiré & Bangaké, Chrysost & Ndoya, Hermann, 2023. "Do financial innovations improve financial inclusion? Evidence from mobile money adoption in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).

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