New research project: Ethnographic study on mobile money in Africa

The ASC has been awarded a one-year research project on the attitudes, perceptions and usage of Mobile Money in fourAfrican countries. The project is financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), which in turn is supported by the MasterCard Foundation. The project is explicitly an ethnographic one, in which case studies will be carried out in DR Congo (Kinshasa & Lubumbashi), Zambia (Kitwe, Lusaka & Southern Province), Cameroon (Bamenda & Baaba) and Senegal (Dakar & Louga ). In each country, a team has been set up to carry out fieldwork and deliver output. Among the outputs are 1) written reports based on life histories, interviews and focus group discussions; 2) summary blogs including visual material and short videos.

The project is a mix between academic research and consultancy and brings together anthropologists, young (African) research talent and key players in the industry.

The team

Leiden/London (ASC)

• Prof. Dr. Mirjam de Bruijn (Principal investigator)
• Inge Butter (Coordinator)

Cameroon

• Dr. Walter Gam Nkwi (Team leader)
• Emmanuel Ngang 

Senegal (LARTES-IFAN)      

• Prof. Abdou Salam Fall (Principal investigator/Team leader)
• Moustapha Seye
• Khadidiatou Diagne
• Mame Diarra Boussou Ndiaye

Zambia (SAIPAR/ASC) 

• Dr. Marja Hinfelaar (Team leader)
• Caesar Cheelo
• Edna Kabala-Litana
• Dr. Iva Peša

DR Congo                           

• Dr. Sylvie Ayimpam (Team leader)
• Dr. Olivier Kahola Tabu

For more information please contact Inge Butter (butteric@ascleiden.nl).

Photo credit: http://paymentsafrika.com/payment-news/mobile/vodacom-and-tigo-agree-on-mobile-money-interoperability/