Mozambique's Empowa Pay Integrates Hedera Hashgraph to Enable Fiat Payments by Tenants Across Africa

Hedera is an attractive solution due to its strategic partnerships with financial institutions

output: A blockchain startup from Mozambique called Empowa Pay has announced its integration with Hedera Hashgraph (ℏ) to enable fiat payments by tenants across Africa.

Empowa Pay, which is known for its blockchain-based mortgage solution, is now leveraging Hedera’s network to facilitate fiat payments for its tenant services. This move aims to enhance the accessibility and affordability of housing in Africa.

According to a tweet by BitKE on November 24, 2023, Empowa's efforts to tokenize mortgages in Africa have proven successful. For instance, in 2022, the startup raised over $300,000 through the sale of its NFT debt product to investors. These funds were utilized to finance housing loans for 30 families in Beira, Mozambique.

Notably, Empowa is also expanding its solutions into Kenya. The startup's collaboration with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) on a project to address the country's $2.5 billion annual housing finance requirement garnered support from the Cardano community to the tune of $612,000.

Empowa Pay's integration with Hedera is particularly strategic due to the network's partnerships with financial institutions. One key example is Standard Bank (Stanbic), Africa's largest bank, which recently joined the Hedera Governing Council.

This collaboration is set to pave the way for Empowa Pay users to make fiat payments directly to their landlords or property management companies via Empowa's platform. Landlords will then be able to receive these payments in fiat currency without the need for cryptocurrency conversion.

Empowa Pay's entry into the Kenyan market is also noteworthy. Together with the NSE, the startup will tokenize mortgages and other financial instruments to raise funds for low-income earners. This initiative, which is part of a broader effort to increase homeownership in Kenya, has already received over $600,000 from the Cardano community.

Empowa Pay, which is backed by Empowa (EMP), a Cardano-based token, is designed to tokenize mortgages and other financial instruments to raise funds for low-income earners. The startup's platform enables investors to purchase Empowa tokens, which are pegged to a portion of a loan, and彙集 their funds to provide loans to low-income earners. In turn, these loans are used to purchase homes, and the Empowa tokens serve as collateral. Empowa Pay users can track their loans and make payments through Empowa's mobile application or web platform.

Upon default, investors can choose to either sell the Empowa tokens on exchanges or burn them to receive a pro-rata share of the remaining loan balance. Empowa Pay also provides insurance coverage for up to 90% of the loan amount in the event of death, critical illness, or permanent disability of the borrower. This coverage is paid for by a portion of the interest earned on the loan.

Empowa Pay's entry into the Kenyan market is also significant. Together with the NSE, the startup will tokenize mortgages and other financial instruments to raise funds for low-income earners. This initiative, which is part of a broader effort to increase homeownership in Kenya, has already received over $600,000 from the Cardano community.