This is the easiest way to send money from your PayPal account to your M-PESA wallet

This is the easiest way to send money from your PayPal account to your M-PESA wallet

PayPal to M-PESA

There are various ways to send money from your PayPal account to your M-Pesa wallet. These transactions are mostly done through third-party platforms leaving you with high transaction fees. I find the PayPal collaboration with Safaricom (Safaricom Money Transfer Services Limited) and Thunes (TransferTo Mobile Financial Services Ltd) the easiest and most cost-efficient.

Firstly you don’t have to create several different accounts. Or need to have a bank account. All you need is your PayPal email address and your M-Pesa mobile money number. The PayPal mobile money platform lets you link your wallet to your account in seconds. It also has a simple way to withdraw funds from your PayPal account. That is transferred to your M-Pesa in at least two hours. A 3% conversion fee applies to withdrawals and 4% for top-ups. I still find this better than the other platforms as they boast of a better forex rate.

Here is how to link your PayPal and M-PESA accounts

  • Go to https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa and log in with your PayPal email address.
  • When you successfully log in, enter your M-PESA Wallet phone number.
  • You’ll receive a 4-digit verification code sent to the mobile number. Enter this number to confirm and link the accounts.

Here is how to withdraw your Paypal money

  • Go to https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa and on the dashboard click on withdraw from PayPal.
  • Enter the amount you would like to withdraw and click on continue to withdraw.
  • Verify the withdrawal and confirm it.
  • You’ll get a notification from Safaricom telling you your transaction from PayPal is being processed. Including how much you’ll receive and the duration.
  • After the duration lapses, you’ll get a transaction completed notification. And how much has been added to your M-Pesa.

During the withdrawal process, you will see the processing time. You are able to withdraw a maximum amount of 150,000 KES per transaction.

I hope this helps. Got questions? Shoot them at me. Did i miss something, let me know.

[jetpack_subscription_form show_only_email_and_button=”true” custom_background_button_color=”undefined” custom_text_button_color=”undefined” submit_button_text=”Hi, subscribe to stay up to date on the trending news, offers and opportunities from the Microsoft and tech ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
” submit_button_classes=”undefined” show_subscribers_total=”true” ]

Check out more posts here.

Windows 10 devices finally hit 1 billion target

Windows 10 devices finally hit 1 billion target

Windows 10

Popular consumer operating system (OS) Windows, marks new user milestone, reaching one billion devices. Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Modern Life, Search and Devices, Yusuf Mehdi shared this in a blog post. Thanking customers, partners and employees for more than one billion active Windows 10 devices.

Today we’re delighted to announce that over one billion people have chosen Windows 10 across 200 countries resulting in more than one billion active Windows 10 devices. We couldn’t be more grateful to our customers, partners and employees for helping us get here.

This announcement means one out of every seven persons on the planet uses a Windows 10 device.

The Journey

In July 2015, Microsoft launched Windows 10 as a free upgrade to its older operating systems. Releasing the OS in seven versions: Windows 10 home, mobile, pro, enterprise, education, mobile enterprise and internet of things (IoT). The company envisioned the OS running on 1 billion devices before or by 2018.

Twenty-four hours after the general release of Windows 10, Microsoft reported it was running on 14 million devices. The number increased to 75 million upgrades by the end of July 2015. Finally, it has taken the company two more years to reach the target. There is the belief that Microsoft mobile which was scrapped along the way could have helped the company in meeting this target.

Here is a timeline of how the OS was adopted over time. With moments where it looked as if Microsoft was forcing the upgrade on users.

Windows 10 devices Timeline

29th July 2015 – Launched

24 hours – 14 million devices

End of July 2015 – 75 million

October 2015 – 110 million devices

May 2016300 million devices

May 2017 – 500 million monthly active users. (Microsoft used active users not devices, not sure if they are the same thing.)

December 2017 – 600 million monthly active devices

October 2018 – 700 million devices

March 2019 – 800 million devices

September 2019 – 900 million devices

March 2020 – 1 billion active Windows 10 devices

[jetpack_subscription_form show_only_email_and_button=”true” custom_background_button_color=”undefined” custom_text_button_color=”undefined” submit_button_text=”Hi, kindly subscribe to get the latest news, events, offers, opportunities, etc. from the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East region.” submit_button_classes=”undefined” show_subscribers_total=”true” ]

Examining forex as an alternative to cryptocurrency investment

Examining forex as an alternative to cryptocurrency investment

With cryptos not looking appealing with recent trends, investors are seeking alternatives. Is forex trading an answer? Let’s take a look.

forex crypto trading dashboard

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency has become a trendy investment topic over the course of the last five years or so, and it’s never been hard to see why. It offers an entirely new opportunity, decentralized and set apart from ordinary investment markets. For many in Africa, it can also be somewhat more accessible than those traditional investment markets. And, of course, there have always been arguments suggesting likely profits. That bitcoin and its closest counterparts will one day skyrocket to high values. Or that cryptos will serve as “hedges” in times of economic downturn. There is definitely some logic to all of this. But all of a sudden cryptos aren’t looking quite as appealing, which could lead some investors to seek alternatives.

Crypto mining in Africa

For starters, there’s the fact that crypto mining in Africa has begun to feel somewhat problematic. Last year, we wrote about the ‘Top Five Countries Mostly Impacted By Ransomware And Cryptocurrency Mining’. Several African nations (Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania, and Zambia) were included. While not nearly as many people mine cryptocurrency as actually use it or invest in it, this does pose a larger problem. Concerns over malware could reduce the flow of new cryptocurrency into Africa, stunting the market and potentially dissuading would-be investors.

There’s also the “hedge” argument to consider. For many years now, crypto advocates have tended to suggest that digital currencies would resist economic downturns and serve as financial safeguards in much the same way gold has occasionally done in the past. Now, however, faced with its first big test on this front, cryptocurrency is coming up short. As world markets plunge in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, NewsBTC writes that bitcoin is at risk of a massive drop-off (and it has already plunged sharply). This is not to say that the hedge argument has been conclusively disproven. But right now cryptos don’t look any safer or more reliable than ordinary market investments.

Fresh alternatives for investors

This brings us to our main point, which is that we may begin to see African investors seeking fresh alternatives. Options that are not tied to traditional stock markets, but which also don’t involve cryptocurrency. And one logical option is going to be the forex trade.

If you aren’t well versed in the forex trade, it’s actually fairly simple to grasp. At least on a fundamental level. Basically, it is the worldwide market comprised of the exchange of different currencies for one another. It is by nature a decentralized investment market, and one that operates 24 hours a day during the week. FXCM adds that it is the most liquid market in the world as well. Meaning its trade volume exceeds that of any other market (and vastly so, in fact).

In a sense, that description closely matches how many investors view cryptocurrency. The characterizations that the market is decentralized, enjoys high liquidity, and functions via the exchange of different currencies could certainly apply equally to forex and cryptocurrency. This is one reason that the former could become such an attractive alternative to African investors if indeed they start to back away from cryptocurrency. Fundamentally it’s a similar way to invest. Except that it does away with some of the uncertainty that surrounds crypto markets.

Similar?

It may also be that the similarities don’t end there, either. Another thing investors tend to like about the crypto market is that transactions occur via blockchain technology. Which ensures a certain degree of security, fairness, and in many cases efficiency. This method of trading transaction initially only found in crypto markets. However, the last year or so has brought about continual stories concerning the adoption of blockchain tech by other trading entities. For instance, Reuters covered HSBC’s blockchain venture just last year. Revealing that the company had “reduced the cost of settling foreign exchange rates by a quarter” through a blockchain-based system. This could indicate that before long a significant portion of worldwide forex trading will use this technology.

None of this means that forex trading is identical to crypto investment. There are significant differences between the two. However, if crypto does start to look like a shakier prospect, we could begin to see investors in Africa and elsewhere turn to forex as a fairly logical alternative.

Featured image via Good Free Photos

[jetpack_subscription_form show_only_email_and_button=”true” custom_background_button_color=”undefined” custom_text_button_color=”undefined” submit_button_text=”Subscribe to get the latest in news, opinions, offers, opportunities, etc. from the tech ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East. ” submit_button_classes=”undefined” show_subscribers_total=”true” ]

Africa teams qualify for Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship in Seattle

Africa teams qualify for Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship in Seattle

Africa teams 2020 ignite cup emea regional winner

Two student teams from Africa emerge as winners in this years Microsoft Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regional final. The teams from Tunisia and Kenya will go on to represent the region at the world championship in Seattle. For a chance to win the grand prize of USD100,000 cash, USD50,000 Azure credits and a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

With hundreds of entries received from the region, ten teams qualified to present at the EMEA regional finals. Four student teams coming from the Middle East and Africa region. Two teams from Kenya and a team from Tunisia and Pakistan. The ten finalists teams virtually presented their ideas after the in-person event was canceled this year.

The Knights from Kenya and RedWalls from Tunisia took the winning spots. Each winning USD 8,000 cash, Azure credits and an all expenses paid trip to the World Championship in Seattle. Three runner-up teams conclude the winning teams. Wild Eye from Kenya, Allez from Ukraine and Vhysio from the United Kingdom. Each runner-up team getting USD 2,500 cash and Azure credits.

No African team has clinched the prestigious grand prize in the eighteen years history of the cup competition. Can the teams make history this made? We look forward to bringing you the world championship from Microsoft Build 2020 in May. When the EMEA champions take on their Asia and Americas counterpart.

[jetpack_subscription_form show_only_email_and_button=”true” custom_background_button_color=”undefined” custom_text_button_color=”undefined” submit_button_text=”Hi, kindly subscribe to get the latest news, events, offers, opportunities, etc. from the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East region.” submit_button_classes=”undefined” show_subscribers_total=”true” ]

WorldRemit announces new flat fee on mobile money transfer to Kenya

WorldRemit announces new flat fee on mobile money transfer to Kenya

mobile money transfer WorldRemit kenya flat fee price

Online money transfer company WorldRemit announces lower transaction fees when you use the platform. Introducing a new simple flat fee for all mobile money transfer transactions to Kenya. The company shares no matter how much you send, you will pay a simple flat fee of ​$0.99.  

The announcement from WorldRemit reads:

Thanks to our growing number of customers, we’ve been able to lower our prices to Kenya.
Our fees were already low. But from now on, they’ll be even lower with a simple flat fee of ​$0.99 on however much you send as a mobile money transfer. Plus, our FX rates are as competitive as ever.

In 2011, the company expanded its online money transfer service to Kenya. Offering instant cash pickup, bank deposits to banks and transfers to mobile accounts. Charging rates of £2.99 for transfers up to $100. As at February 2020, only transactions below 1,000 KES or about $10 attracted fees of $0.99. With the new fee, customer can send the maximum MPESA transfer of 70,000 KES and pay only $0.99 in fees.

WorldRemit prides itself on providing fast online service that’s easy and convenient to use. Handling 74% of remittances to popular mobile money services across Africa. It notes “over 90% of our transfers are authorized within minutes“.

I have been using WorldRemit to top up airtime and send MPESA since 2018 and it has been flawless. Ask me anything about the service and i’ll answer you.

Want to give the services a try? Use my referral link or code SYLVESTERA74 to register and we both get 20 USD each when you send 100 USD.

[jetpack_subscription_form show_only_email_and_button=”true” custom_background_button_color=”undefined” custom_text_button_color=”undefined” submit_button_text=”Hi, kindly subscribe to get the latest news, events, offers, opportunities, etc. from the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East region. ” submit_button_classes=”undefined” show_subscribers_total=”true” ]

Check out other articles making news in the region.