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Bharti Airtel To Raise US$1bn Through Share Sale

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Bharti Telecom, a holding company of Indian telecoms group Bharti Airtel, is set to sell a 2.75 per cent stake in the operator to raise around US$1 billion today with the intention of clearing its debts, the Economic Times writes.

A person familiar with matter was quoted by the paper as saying that ‘Bharti Telecom intends to clean up debt at the promoter level, which will clear the path for it to inject more capital towards shareholder support at Airtel in the near future’.

 The stake sale will help make the holding company debt-free and reduce Bharti Airtel’s so-called ‘debt overhand’, as the ratings agencies and other bodies include the financial obligations of promoter groups in assessing a company’s financial strength.

Bharti Telecom currently holds a 38.79 per cent stake in Airtel (as at end-March 2020), and the sale will reduce the combined stake in Airtel held by Telecom’s co-owners Singtel and Bharti Enterprises to around 31.9 per cent and 24.3 per cent, respectively – both promoter groups hold additional shares through other intermediaries.

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Africa Region

Standard Chartered Joins Temenos Partner Programme

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Through the integration, financial institutions (FIs) on the Temenos platform will benefit from a faster go-to-market in accessing the Standard Chartered’s extensive currencies offering, allowing them to price services across more than 130 currencies and 5,000 currency pairs while managing exposure risks to FX market volatility.

The integration releases the strain on inhouse technology resources, which is considered beneficial for retail banks, wealth managers and payment providers handling low-value or high-volume transactions that sit outside their treasury function.

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Schneider Electric Targets 900m Africans With Sustainable Energy Solutions

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Schneider Electric said it is targeting 900 million Africans including 95 million Nigerians with universal access to sustainable energy solutions in rural communities by fostering a greener and more resilient future.

The global energy provider said it is committed to providing access to clean electricity to 50 million by 2025, and 100 million by 2030. To date, 46.5 million people have already benefited from Schneider’s energy access solutions.

The country president, Schneider Electric West Africa, Ajibola Akindele, speaking at the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) conference, held in Lagos, recently, said they have a wide range of Access to Energy solutions suitable for electrifying small homes and micro-enterprises, fundamental public services, up to villages and communities.

“Our mission is to be a global digital partner for sustainability and efficiency, empowering all to make the most of our energy resources, bridge progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life is On,” he said.

Director MEAS, Access to Energy, Schneider Electric, Thomas Bonicel, speaking on Schneider Electric’s Access to Energy (A2E) program, emphasized the program’s mission to empower communities through clean and reliable energy access including training & entrepreneurship programs, social & inclusive business, and investment funds.

“There are over 700 million people across the world without access to energy, 600 million in Africa and 95 million in Nigeria; at Schneider Electric, we have decided to deploy our Access to Energy solutions in Nigeria.

“Our major KPI is the impact measured by the quantity of connected people and with Villaya Flex, our latest innovation, we are ready to support independent electricity access and renewable energy adoption in remote villages and off-grid communities,” he said.

The commercial leader, Microgrid, Schneider Electric, Teina Teibowei, said, Villaya Flex, a packaged, comprehensive microgrid solution, is specifically designed for rural, off-the-grid communities and aims to ensure a dependable and sustainable energy supply to meet daily needs and power productive economic activities in these

Teibowei also noted the Nigerian government and the World Bank’s joint efforts to extend electricity access to rural Nigerian villages, adding that  Schneider Electric’s Villaya Flex microgrid solution is well-positioned to tackle the electrification challenges of these remote communities, potentially serving as a valuable asset for the World Bank’s Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project.

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Africa Region

Mastercard and Payment24 to Boost EMV Adoption in Africa, Others

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Mastercard and Payment24 are extending their engagement across Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) to help bolster security and drive innovation within the fleet and fuel payment industry across the region.

The EMV standard, now being implemented in over 80 markets, has dramatically reduced the incidence of counterfeit card fraud associated with magnetic strip cards, saving hundreds of millions in potential losses.

This partnership not only drives innovation in the fleet and fuel payments sector, but also aims to speed up the transition to the secure EMV standard and help fleet operators reduce the risk of fraud associated with magnetic strip fleet cards.

This expanded collaboration extends the geographical reach of a proven solution and delivers modern fleet and fuel payment solutions to banks and fleet card issuers throughout the region. While drivers benefit from a quick, secure, and seamless way to make payments, fleet operators can now monitor driver spending in real-time, set expense limits, and minimize the need for cash.

“By combining Mastercard’s leading payment technology with Payment24’s innovative and proven fuel payments platform, we deliver a solution for the region that enhances security and adds significant value and convenience for customers,” said Clyde Rosanowski, Senior Vice President of Commercial Solutions, EEMEA at Mastercard.

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