New Straits Times

HELLOGOLD ENTERS AFRICA VIA TIE-UP

Company in partnershi­p with Baobab to jointly develop products for 800,000 customers across 9 countries

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MALAYSIA’S financial technology (fintech) savings platform HelloGold is partnering leading digital financial inclusion group Baobab to enter the African market.

HelloGold and Baobab will jointly develop products for the latter’s 800,000 customers across nine countries in the continent.

Using its digital financial service infrastruc­ture and experience, HelloGold’s gold-backed savings and products will support Baobab in expanding its financial inclusion services through an integrated savings platform.

The companies said users would be able to easily buy, save and invest in gold directly via a mobile app, allowing instant and secure access to gold as an alternativ­e savings product.

“We are pleased to announce the partnershi­p, which will allow our clients to benefit from new digital services. The possibilit­y to easily save and invest in gold is an additional key offered to our clients to unleash their potential.

“The collaborat­ion with HelloGold will allow us to integrate this savings offer in the nine African countries we are working with,” said Baobab Group chief executive officer (CEO) and founder Arnaud Ventura.

Baobab operates 1,140 service points in Africa and has disbursed more than €940 million (RM4.33 billion) in loans to the underbanke­d and unbanked, including micro entreprene­urs, youth and women.

The company provides a wide range of digital and mobile solutions to customers in Africa and China to “simply, quickly and safely” manage their finances.

“Our partnershi­p with Baobab demonstrat­es HelloGold’s capacity to provide financial solutions for our current and prospectiv­e partners,” said HelloGold CEO Robin Lee in a statement.

Lee said HelloGold supported its partners in the building of their own offerings with differenti­ated value and services on their platforms.

“We use blockchain technology to enable our customers to access affordable financial products and services, starting with gold.

“HelloGold’s mission is to democratis­e essential savings and lending products for the underserve­d and the unbanked in emerging markets through digitisati­on. With the shared vision, Baobab is a perfect partner.”

HelloGold’s products revolve around a unique business model, which allows users to buy and sell gold and eventually other financial assets through an app where the physical gold placed in secure, insured vaults in Singapore and soon in Dubai can be used for both savings and as collateral for loans.

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