Nedbank’s retail banking business posted growth in 2021, on the back of transformation through digital ecosystems and branch infrastructure.

Emirates NBD’s improved sales and customer experience strengthened its retail banking performance.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major global trade and business hub, lands on this year’s list of countries still lacking in progress on anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) efforts. Further advancement on the investigation and prosecution of cases involving dirty money is key to removing the UAE from the so-called grey list. Despite this, the impact on the UAE’s economy is expected to be limited because of its relative strength and stability.

Mobile-based payment platform OPay has grown exponentially since its launch in 2018, penetrating the unbanked and underbanked population in Nigeria. It allows users to send and receive money, pay bills, and order food and groceries, with a network of thousands of agents.

Global mobile phone users are projected to reach 4.8 billion by 2025, compared with 2.8 billion users in 2020. Businesses are tapping into this vast market as mobile wallets gain an increasing share of the payments market.

With the progress of technology and pandemic-induced restrictions, SMEs are increasingly steering towards digital and mobile cross-border payments options.