HelloGold and Baobab will jointly develop digital financial products for Baobab’s 800,000 customers across 9 countries in Africa.
HelloGold, an Asia-based fintech savings platform, will support Baobab in expanding its financial inclusion services through an integrated savings platform.
HelloGold’s gold backed savings and loan financial products will be integrated with Baobab’s mobile phone app to be launched in 2019. Thanks to this collaboration, Baobab clients will be able to easily buy, save and invest in gold, directly on the Baobab mobile application. Our clients will have instant and secure access anytime to gold as an alternative savings product, which can provide protection against currency depreciation and provide attractive savings returns.
Accelerated by mobile phones and digitization, financial inclusion is on the rise globally. Africa has been at the forefront, with mobile driven financial inclusion growing by 20% over the past six years. Through this partnership, Baobab and HelloGold intend to grow and explore financial inclusion in more markets on the continent. The partnership will allow Baobab to offer alternative financial products that were once difficult to access, further enhancing the financial well being of our customers.
“We are pleased to announce this 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. This collaboration with HelloGold will allow us to integrate this saving offer in the 9 African countries we are working with”, said Arnaud Ventura, CEO and founder of Baobab Group.
“Our partnership with Baobab demonstrates HelloGold’s capacity to provide financial solutions for our current and prospective partners. While we bring financial products on our technology, we support our partners in the building of their own offerings, providing 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 democratize essential savings and lending products for the underserved and the unbanked in emerging markets through digitization. With our shared vision, Baobab is a perfect partner” HelloGold CEO Robin Lee, said in a statement.
About Baobab
Baobab is a leading digital financial inclusion group focusing on serving individuals, micro and small businesses in Africa and China. Our mission is to unleash the potential of our clients offering them simple and easy to use financial services. Founded in 2005 as Microcred, today Baobab has originated more than EUR 3Bn loans serving over 800,000 customers with 4,100 employees in 9 countries in Africa – Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and China.
About HelloGold
HelloGold is a fintech savings platform offering simple and accessible financial products for everyone. Founded in 2015 in Malaysia, HelloGold built the world’s first syariah compliant gold digital application that changes the way people buy and sell gold. HelloGold’s platform features blockchain technology to enhance the security of its customer records as well provide greater transparency of their savings. Todate, HelloGold has hit over 100,000 downloads and has 35,000 customers. Its 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 also in Dubai), can be used for both savings and as collateral for loans. With a strong presence in Southeast Asia, HelloGold recently launched in Thailand and plans to expand into Indonesia and the Middle East in 2019.
