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In its 20th year, Mukuru named in FXC Intelligence Top 100 Cross-Border Payment Companies list for fifth time in a row

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2 years ago

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Mukuru

The recognition coincides with the financial services platform turning 20 years old and still growing

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2024/APO Group/ — 

As next-generation financial services platform Mukuru (https://www.Mukuru.com) marks the major milestone of being in business for 20 years, FCX Intelligence has announced that it has made the list of Top 100 Cross-Border Payment Companies for the fifth successive year. The award goes a long way in demonstrating how Mukuru has remained relevant for two decades while still innovating to remain so in the future.

FXC Intelligence is the industry leader in cross-border payments data and intelligence. FXC Intelligence founder and CEO Daniel Webber says: “Mukuru’s presence among the Cross-Border Payments 100 for five consecutive years underscores its dedication to providing innovative financial solutions across borders. Its commitment to leveraging technology and fostering financial inclusion has positioned it as a key player in the industry, recognised by FXC Intelligence for its impactful contributions.”

Mukuru’s CEO Andy Jury says the recognition is validation of the business’s customer-centric and solution-oriented approach. “It is humbling to be recognised in the company of many esteemed businesses that have been in existence far longer than us. These businesses have transformed the financial services landscape globally. It is testimony to the hard work we have put in collectively, which we call the orange energy coursing through our veins – a metaphor for the passion to grow and deliver value to our customers.”

Despite being named on the list for five straight years, Jury says that Mukuru is not static and in its 20th year will continue striving towards reaching more customers in more markets. “While the recognition is great validation of our approach and vision, we really feel that we have only scratched the surface and our work is still in its infancy. Our orientation is to continue to focus on how we can scale our business, how we can solve problems for our customers, and how we can partner with many of the other esteemed businesses named on the top-100 list to continue to improve the lives of our customers.”

While the recognition is great validation of our approach and vision, we really feel that we have only scratched the surface and our work is still in its infancy

Jury says that one of the key ingredients to remaining relevant for 20 years has been the entrepreneurial spirit that forms part of Mukuru’s DNA. “In an emerging market environment you are always confronted with new challenges. You simply cannot rest on your laurels. There needs to be a perpetual focus on solving challenges and addressing customer problems. This has kept us true to our mission, and young and entrepreneurial at heart. It means we focus less on yesterday’s success because our focus must be zeroed onto what’s coming over the horizon,” says Jury.

Looking back, Jury believes that because the business was founded with a single use case it was able to build scale and runway to develop into the successful financial services platform it has become. “We started with a fairly deep but narrow challenge. That was remittances. This enabled us to build scale without needing to manage the complexity that comes with multiple geographies and customer types. It was an homogenous focus on a single problem that was built in a modular way to be re-used in new use cases. That efficiency meant there was value coming in through the front door so we could bootstrap ourselves up off of that,” he explains.

Jury says that this focus was vital over the past 20 years as Mukuru bootstrapped itself without the benefit of outside funding in its formative days. “We have had to remain focused and learn to prioritise because we are a business that has always paid for ourselves. We needed to generate value to keep the lights on and continue growing. This ensures a sharp focus, especially in head winds.”

Shifting his gaze to how the business has evolved from a remittance business to a next-generation financial services platform, with various financial products and services for different customers in different markets, Jury says the modular approach birthed in the early days – of developing solutions for similar but slightly different customer bases and then expanding that network in terms of geographical reach and associated accessible markets –  enabled this.

However, despite this, Jury believes that a fintech’s success is directly proportional to how it listens to its customers and addresses their needs. “What was very important to us from day one with five customers to today with more than 16-million customers hasn’t changed. It is the notion of walking in the shoes of our customers: Understanding their needs, wants and challenges and then building solutions to address those as opposed to starting with a nice shiny product and then trying to force it onto a customer base.”

With the knowledge and insight that comes from being at the helm of a 20-year-old business that is growing and continually deploying new products and services, what advice does Jury have for fintechs?

The key is focus, the ability to prioritise and an understanding that everything must exist in a sense of balance. Focus on what you are good at, focus on the problem or opportunity you are addressing, and don’t forget the customer. Focus on something that has a deep addressable market that is going to allow repeat touch points, and then, very importantly, try not to be too distracted by shiny innovations as they may be just that: distractions.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.

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Events

Dongfeng Motor’s 10th Science and Technology Innovation Week and 1st User Lifestyle Festival Kick Off in Wuhan

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2 hours ago

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September 24, 2026

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Dongfeng

Over the course of ten editions spanning a decade, Dongfeng Motor’s Science and Technology Innovation Week has further strengthened the connection between technology and users

WUHAN, China, September 24, 2026/APO Group/ –On September 14, Dongfeng Motor’s (​http://www.Dongfeng-Global.com/) 10th Science and Technology Innovation Week and 1st User Lifestyle Festival kicked off in Wuhan. With the theme “ Wind from the East, Creating a Smart Life,” the event showcased the innovative achievements of a Chinese automaker in intelligent and green mobility, as well as its global expansion.

 




 
 

At the opening ceremony, Dongfeng Motor unveiled the “Sky-Clean Zero-Carbon” Plan, the Embodied Intelligent Vehicle All-Domain Protection Plan, and the “Sky Horizon Voyage” Plan. Among them, the “Sky-Clean Zero-Carbon” Plan leverages the “1331” framework to build an integrated vehicle-energy ecosystem, aiming to achieve more than 1 million tonnes of coordinated carbon reduction annually and promote the transformation of automobiles into mobile energy assets; the Embodied Intelligent Vehicle All-Domain Protection Plan adopts a “1+6+4” technology system to establish a new paradigm for all-domain vehicle safety in the era of embodied intelligence; the “Sky Horizon Voyage” Plan establishes a “125” global business strategy, with plans to invest RMB 50 billion and launch more than 50 vehicle models, while striving to achieve overseas sales of 1.5 million vehicles by 2030.

 

Over the course of ten editions spanning a decade, Dongfeng Motor’s Science and Technology Innovation Week has further strengthened the connection between technology and users. At Dongfeng Motor’s 1st User Lifestyle Festival, more than 240 owner representatives from its various brands gathered in Wuhan. Dongfeng also launched the “Dongfeng Youxin” service brand for its broad user base, establishing a full-lifecycle user service system.

On the same day, the 72nd International Commercial Vehicle and Parts Exhibition opened in Hannover, Germany. Three Dongfeng hydrogen-powered vehicles and a 400-kilowatt fuel cell making its global debut are on display at Booth C20 in Hall H12.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Dongfeng Motor Corporation.

 

 




 

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Events

Global Mayors Dialogue in Wuhan focuses on urban innovation and cooperation

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8 hours ago

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September 24, 2026

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The Global Mayors Dialogue

WUHAN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 September 2026 – The Global Mayors Dialogue · Wuhan and the 2026 Wuhan International Friendship Cities Cooperation Conference, held from Sept. 18 to 21, brought together 80 international guests from 24 cities across 22 countries, according to organizers.

At the event, mayors and city representatives from six international sister cities of Wuhan called for closer cooperation in technology, industry, education and culture.

Representatives from Manchester in Britain, Kemi in Finland, Cape Town in South Africa, Yangon in Myanmar, Rzeszów in Poland and Turkistan in Kazakhstan took part in discussions on urban innovation, industrial cooperation and cultural exchange.
 




 
Manchester: a new start after 40 years of friendship

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Wuhan and Manchester.

Shaukat Ali, lord mayor of Manchester, said the city was ready to deepen cooperation with Wuhan in education, culture, youth affairs, innovation and industry.

“Manchester is committed to promoting urban transformation through open cooperation, sharing opportunities, and fostering common development with international sister cities like Wuhan,” he said.

Ali said Manchester had developed from a post-industrial city into an innovation-oriented economy, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, life sciences and green technologies.

He said the two cities could share experience in urban transformation, innovation districts, university-industry cooperation and low-carbon development, while encouraging links among universities, businesses and research institutions.

He also highlighted existing educational and cultural links, including cooperation between Hubei University and Manchester Metropolitan University and exchanges between the Royal Northern College of Music and Wuhan Conservatory of Music.

Kemi: balancing growth with environmental protection

Mikko Koivulehto, chairman of the City Council of Kemi, said the Finnish city sought to balance economic growth with environmental protection.

“We believe that protecting nature and building a prosperous city can go hand in hand,” he said.

Kemi, a port city in Finnish Lapland, has developed industries based on renewable raw materials, clean energy and the bioeconomy. The city is also seeking to expand tourism and improve livability.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the friendly exchange relationship between Wuhan and Kemi. The two cities have cooperated in areas including trade, the circular economy, tourism and youth exchanges.

Cape Town: technology and jobs key to urban transformation

Lungelo Mbandazayo, city manager of Cape Town, said technological innovation, talent development, infrastructure and green renewal were key to Wuhan’s transformation.

Cape Town, a UNESCO City of Design, is seeking to expand its technology and digital sectors while promoting green technology and an inclusive economy.

Mbandazayo said youth unemployment remained a major challenge for Cape Town and that technological development needed to create jobs.

After visiting Wuhan companies and technology facilities, he said Cape Town hoped to deepen exchanges with Wuhan in technology and talent.

Yangon: seeking practical cooperation with Wuhan

Yangon Mayor Myo Myint Aung said the city was looking to Wuhan for experience in smart-city development, digital governance, intelligent transport and urban resilience.

Wuhan and Yangon signed a letter of intent on friendly exchanges and cooperation during the event.

Yangon is developing a long-term plan to accommodate population growth and expand its urban, industrial and transport infrastructure.

During a visit to Wuhan on Sept. 19, Myo toured the Optics Valley “Photon” suspended monorail, HGTECH and a Xiaomi smart home appliance factory.

“We came to Wuhan not just to observe, but to learn and cooperate,” he said, adding that Yangon hoped to develop smart manufacturing and strengthen cooperation in information technology.

Rzeszów: opportunities in aerospace and technology

Rzeszów Mayor Konrad Fijołek said the Polish city hoped to cooperate with Wuhan in aerospace, sensor technology, biodiversity and climate action.

Rzeszów is home to the “Aviation Valley,” a major aerospace cluster in Central Europe.

“Exploring cooperation with Wuhan is the reason I came here,” Fijołek said.

After visiting HGTECH and a Xiaomi smart home appliance factory, he said Wuhan’s automated manufacturing and technologies in sensors and satellite systems had impressed him.

He said cities could help connect universities, businesses and research institutions and promote international cooperation.

Turkistan: five areas for cooperation

Turkestan Mayor Azimbek Pazylbekuly said his city hoped to expand cooperation with Wuhan in tourism and culture, education and science, investment and entrepreneurship, digitalization and innovation, and transport and logistics.

Wuhan and Turkistan signed a memorandum of intent on friendly exchanges and cooperation during the event.

Turkistan, an ancient Silk Road city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been developing industries including food processing, textiles, furniture and construction materials.

Pazylbekuly said cooperation between governments, businesses, universities and research institutions could help turn the two cities’ exchanges into concrete projects.

The conference also included friendship-city anniversary celebrations and a signing ceremony for 10 cooperation projects. A digital list of cooperation opportunities and an initiative on international friendship-city cooperation were released.

During their stay, the visiting mayors toured Wuhan’s technology, manufacturing and ecological facilities, including the Optics Valley suspended monorail, a Yangtze finless porpoise conservation center, Xiaomi, HGTECH and Dongfeng Motor facilities.
  




 

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Business

Binance Invests $100 Million in Circle, Expands Strategic Partnership and Renews for Five Years

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8 hours ago

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September 24, 2026

By

Binance

New five-year agreement focuses on promotion of USDC globally

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (www.Binance.com) today announced a $100 million equity investment in Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL) and the expansion and renewal of its strategic partnership to promote USDC across Binance’s global platform. The new arrangement has a term of five years.

Together, we see incredible opportunities to leverage USDC to expand dollar access, support savings and investment with innovative digital asset products

Under the expanded partnership, Binance will promote USDC across its global platform, especially in emerging markets. Circle will provide the infrastructure services that support holding and using USDC.

 




  

In connection with the partnership, Binance purchased $100 million worth of shares of Circle Class A common stock, through a private placement at a purchase price reflecting a five percent discount to the market price of CRCL prior to closing.

“Circle has earned its place as one of the most credible issuers in the world spanning USDC, Arc and the infrastructure reshaping how value moves across borders. Our $100 million investment and five-year commitment represent long-duration conviction,” said Richard Teng, co-CEO of Binance. “We are helping to build a more inclusive, transparent, and compliant digital economy. A stable, trusted digital dollar should not be a privilege–it should be available to anyone with a phone. That’s the future this partnership is designed to deliver.”

“Binance has built one of the largest and most dynamic platforms in the world for using digital currency, creating the internet’s largest financial super app, and becoming the most widely used wallets in the world for dollar stablecoins,” said Jeremy Allaire, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Circle. “Together, we see incredible opportunities to leverage USDC to expand dollar access, support savings and investment with innovative digital asset products, and reach people and businesses throughout global emerging markets.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

 

 




 

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