Authors of the 2026 Global Development Report, published by the World Bank Group, concluded that artificial intelligence can become a key factor in accelerating economic growth in developing countries. However, realizing this potential requires timely investments in energy supply, digital infrastructure, specialist training, and the development of state institutions.
According to the report, provided adequate government policies are implemented, AI will allow developing economies to achieve in a decade the level of development that would normally take about a century. Nevertheless, delays in addressing existing infrastructure problems and institutional constraints could lead to a deepening of the technological gap between nations.
The World Bank notes that the risk of job automation by generative AI in high-income countries is more than three times higher than in low- and middle-income countries. While 14.2% of jobs in developed economies are susceptible to potential automation, this figure stands at 4.5% in developing countries.
Despite this, the potential for productivity gains remains high. In developing countries, AI can boost the efficiency of 16.2% of jobs, which is only slightly lower than the rate in developed nations, where this figure is estimated at 18.7%. The study's authors believe that the main effect of technology adoption for most developing economies will be increased productivity, rather than mass layoffs.
Indimit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group, emphasized that countries do not necessarily need to create their own large language models or build large-scale data centers to benefit from AI. In his view, using small, accessible AI solutions adapted to local conditions can expand access for millions of people to medical, educational, judicial, and agricultural services.
The report highlights that AI is already assisting government bodies and businesses in data analysis, improving forecasting, and enhancing the quality of services provided. Technologies can be used to support doctors in disease diagnosis, assist farmers in decision-making, improve enterprise efficiency, enhance tax administration, social programs, healthcare and education systems, and respond to emergencies.
The study's authors point out that developing economies are experiencing the lowest average growth rates in the last three decades. They estimate that artificial intelligence can significantly accelerate economic development by the end of the 2020s, although this scenario is not guaranteed.
Among the main obstacles listed are electricity shortages, limited internet access, lack of computing power, data, skilled specialists, and effective government institutions. Without necessary reforms, AI could exacerbate global and domestic inequality, lead to further concentration of market power, and create additional threats to security, personal data protection, and public trust.
The World Bank proposes a phased approach to AI technology development. In the first phase, countries are advised to actively implement existing solutions, then adapt them to national specifics, and only after establishing the necessary infrastructure move on to developing their own advanced AI systems.
Gaurav Nayyar, director of the report's authoring group, specifically noted that the window of opportunity for making effective decisions is narrow. He stated that countries that invest now in energy, the internet, human capital development, and institutions will be able to use artificial intelligence for the benefit of their citizens and economy.
The research places particular emphasis on developing basic infrastructure. As an example, it cites Sub-Saharan African countries, where nearly a third of rural schools lack reliable electricity, and over two-thirds lack stable internet access. To address this issue, the World Bank, together with partners, is implementing the Mission 300 initiative, aiming to provide electricity to 300 million residents in the region by 2030.
The report authors also recommend expanding access to computing resources, increasing data volumes, including materials in local languages, supporting innovative companies, improving public procurement and project evaluation mechanisms, and strengthening public trust in artificial intelligence through responsible regulation and international cooperation. In their opinion, voluntary industry standards may play an important role in the initial stage, followed by the application of existing legislation if necessary to prevent negative consequences of AI use.
As a condition for obtaining regulatory approval for the acquisition of fintech company Walletdoc, Capitec agreed to provide its Capitec Pay platform to competing payment service providers. Furthermore, the company commits not to favor this platform over the general instant payment system used by the banking industry.
The Competition Commission recommended that the Competition Tribunal approve the deal provided these conditions are met. However, the final decision on the deal must still be made by the tribunal, and the conditions will only come into effect after that.
In a statement summarizing the decisions made at the regular meetings on July 21 and August 3, the commission disclosed its decision. Under the stipulated conditions, the merged entity must make Capitec Pay available to third-party payment service providers (PSPs) that are technically and commercially capable of integrating with the platform. It is also prohibited from using confidential business information obtained from competing PSPs through their access to Capitec Pay to compete against them.
Capitec is also obliged to treat PayShap Request and the Rapid Payments Programme backbone no less favorably than its own Capitec Pay product, except where differences are due to objectively verifiable and proportionate factors such as scheme design rules and risk control capabilities.
Capitec Pay is the bank's proprietary bank-to-bank payment product that allows merchants to accept online payments without customers needing to enter card details. Walletdoc is a registered third-party payment service provider and system operator that offers Capitec Pay to its merchants alongside card payments, EFT payments, and PayShap.
According to the commission's description of the parties, Capitec is already actively involved in acquiring from merchants, processing payments, and accepting payments independently. Thus, this deal places Capitec on both sides of the same market. The company owns the payment backbone necessary for competing PSPs to offer Capitec payment options to their merchants, and simultaneously will own a PSP competing with these same providers for merchant business.
The commission noted that the deal does not raise significant concerns regarding public interest. PayShap was launched in March 2023 with the participation of four banks and was developed by BankservAfrica (now PayInc) in conjunction with the South African Payments Association. Capitec joined the system several months later.
However, the implementation of the system proved disappointing. As reported by TechCentral in December, high and inconsistent fees kept PayShap at a low level because sustainable and frequent usage was low across all banks—and there was a structural deterrent in the fact that cheap instant payments reduce the fee income banks receive from services that PayShap could replace.
The government has taken steps in this direction. BankservAfrica changed its name to PayInc in August 2025, when the Reserve Bank acquired a 50% stake and transformed the company into a national payment utility. This plan is based on the observation that the adoption of digital payment backbones, including PayShap, lags behind developing markets such as India and Brazil, where the main barrier is cost. The Competition Commission also recommended approving this deal.
Capitec announced the acquisition of Walletdoc in December, agreeing to pay R300 million upfront cash plus a deferred bonus of up to R100 million over three years, tied to Capitec's share price and dependent on achieving performance targets. Walletdoc was founded in 2015 by Leonard Schenker and Dan Wagner, initially as a consumer bill payment application. It provides payment gateway, payment orchestration, and merchant acceptance services, primarily for e-commerce, but also facilitates card acceptance through point-of-sale devices. Walletdoc Holdings is wholly owned by Walletdoc International, a private company registered in Cyprus.
Amidst the active electric motorcycle race in India, where companies like Ola, Ather, Bajaj, and TVS have focused on premium consumers and marketing, the startup River Mobility chose a different path that proved successful. The Bangalore-based company raised $120 million in a Series C round.
The investment was led by Indian investors Elev8 Venture Partners and Claypond Capital. They were joined by Singularity AMC, Anicut, 360 ONE, JIF, and HDFC AMC, as well as existing partners including Yamaha Motor, Al-Futtaim, and Mitsui. The debt portion was less than 12%, and the entire amount was received as equity capital. The total amount raised now reaches $144 million.
Although the two-wheeler EV market in India is the largest in terms of adoption, most startups have focused on urban consumers, offering sporty designs, connected displays, and premium features. However, River Mobility's CEO, Aravind Mani, noticed a significant gap in the market.
He pointed out self-employed individuals, couriers, small business owners, and service workers who travel 60–80 kilometers daily, for whom cost per kilometer and reliable equipment operation are critical. In 2023, River released only one product—the utilitarian electric moped Indie, designed for work. This moped costs $1630, has an advertised range of 99 miles, and comes equipped with cargo accessories.
Currently, the company ships about 6,000 vehicles monthly through more than 75 stores, exceeding total sales of 50,000 units. Monthly revenue is around $11 million, and annual revenue has grown by 330% as of March 2026. The typical buyer is a self-employed person aged 28–35 who uses the Indie for earning, and for them, the electric vehicle primarily means profitability.
Mani emphasized that the main achievement was the manufacturing base, noting that they once produced only 20 units per day. Today, River produces 300 electric vehicles daily, and this growth was an extremely challenging process. The company's first factory outside Bangalore, after modernization, now produces 10,000 units per month, and it will operate at full capacity by the beginning of next year.
To launch new models, River needs to increase production capacity, so the raised funds will be allocated across three areas. Mani noted the difference from previous rounds: while early checks funded research and development (R&D) and the Indie itself, the current round is aimed at implementing plans. He pointed out a discrepancy he observed: 'Silicon Valley investors have long recognized India's potential in electric vehicles. But they do not understand customer behavior.'
Indian funds, such as Elev8 and Claypond, along with strategic partners like Yamaha, are betting that River has managed to solve problems in both product and manufacturing. Although River competes in a saturated market, its single-model approach gave it an advantage. Instead of dividing engineering and supply chains for four different scooters, all efforts were focused on making the Indie reliable and cheap to manufacture, which allowed them to go from 20 to 300 units per day. Now the risk is reversed: can they maintain this discipline while adding two models and tenfold increasing plant capacities?
The 8.8 Campaign has presented a wide range of smartphone offers, covering models from budget to premium. Five featured deals with discounts reaching up to 50% have been compiled, including the Samsung Galaxy A57 5G, Motorola Moto G35 5G, Moto G06, iPhone 16e, and iPhone 17 256GB. These options suit different users, offering prices starting from 784 Brazilian Reais, with some falling into historical price ranges for recently released devices.
The best 8.8 smartphone deals are detailed, including the cost, discount percentage, and key specifications of each model.
The Samsung Galaxy A57 5G is the latest model in Samsung's A series and features a premium configuration: 128GB storage, 8GB RAM, a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, a triple rear camera up to 50MP supporting optical image stabilization (a rarity for the A series), a 12MP selfie camera with HDR video, IP68 certification, NFC, and Galaxy AI features. The key advantage is the promise of up to six years of Android and security updates. The model is available in lilac and costs less than 1800 Brazilian Reais with a 50% discount, making it the largest discount in the list.
The Motorola Moto G35 5G is an intermediate option from Motorola's G lineup. It has 128GB storage, 4GB physical RAM, supplemented by 8GB via RAM Boost technology (providing a total effective capacity of 12GB), a 50MP AI-supported camera, NFC for contactless payments, and a 6.7-inch Superbrilho display technology ensuring excellent visibility in direct sunlight. The model is available in green and costs less than 850 Brazilian Reais with a 43% discount, representing an affordable option with native 5G.
The Motorola Moto G06 is a budget smartphone with a generous configuration relative to its price: 256GB storage (rare in this price segment), 4GB physical RAM, supplemented by 8GB via RAM Boost, a 50MP AI camera, and a powerful 5200mAh battery. It features a large 6.9-inch display and is available in beige. With a 42% discount, it costs less than 785 Brazilian Reais, making it an ideal choice for those wanting to enter the smartphone world with minimal expenditure, given the large storage capacity.
The Apple iPhone 16e represents the most accessible version of the iPhone 16 line, retaining Apple's modern design, current-generation chip, advanced cameras, and all iOS ecosystem capabilities. It is available in classic black and costs less than 3465 Brazilian Reais with a 40% discount. This is the most affordable entry into the current Apple ecosystem, allowing savings of 2340 Brazilian Reais compared to the original price.
The Apple iPhone 17 is an intermediate model from Apple's 17 line. It is equipped with 256GB storage, 8GB RAM, an advanced camera system, the latest Apple chip, a wide display, and all iOS ecosystem features. The black model is sold with a 34% discount for less than 5250 Brazilian Reais, equating to savings of 2753 Brazilian Reais compared to Apple's recent launch price.
These five offers cover the entire spectrum of smartphones—from entry-level to premium class. If a user is looking for the newest Samsung with premium features, the Galaxy A57 5G offers a package that includes OIS, IP68, and 6 years of updates, all for under 1800 Brazilian Reais (the largest price reduction in the list). For those seeking affordable 5G, the Motorola Moto G35 5G costs less than 850 Brazilian Reais, combining modern connectivity with a Superbrilho display. If the priority is a budget smartphone with large storage, the Moto G06 with 256GB costs less than 785 Brazilian Reais and is one of the best storage value deals currently available. To enter the Apple ecosystem with lower expenses, the iPhone 16e with a 40% discount is the most accessible entry into current iOS. And for those who desire a current-generation iPhone, the iPhone 17 256GB in black falls into a very attractive price range for the top Apple segment.
The Galaxy A57 5G is the newest model in Samsung's A series and boasts significant improvements over the A56: the inclusion of IP68 certification, an OIS (optical image stabilization) camera—which is extremely rare in the A series and crucial for night shots—and a support policy of up to 6 years for Android and security updates, substantially extending the device's lifespan. This is a very comprehensive choice for intensive use over many years.
The choice depends on budget and priorities. The iPhone 16e (this offer) is the most accessible version of the 16 line, offering 128GB, an older Apple chip, and a dual camera. The iPhone 17 is an intermediate model of the current line, offering 256GB, the latest chip, and a more advanced camera system. For general use (social media, casual photos, apps, streaming), the 16e is perfectly adequate. However, if the user aims for a current iPhone with greater technological longevity, the iPhone 17 justifies the additional cost.
The main difference lies in 5G support: the Moto G35 5G has native 5G connectivity, whereas the Moto G06 operates on 4G. The Moto G06 compensates for this with a large 256GB storage capacity (twice that of the G35), a larger battery (5200mAh), and a bigger screen (6.9 inches). If mobile internet speed and future readiness are the priority, the Moto G35 5G is the better choice. If autonomy, storage capacity, and a large screen are the priority, the Moto G06 offers more for less money.
Motorola's Superbrilho technology refers to displays with high maximum brightness, ensuring clear visibility even under direct sunlight. This is especially useful for those who frequently use their phone outdoors (outdoor work, travel, sports), as it distinguishes it from ordinary screens that are difficult to read on sunny days.
RAM Boost is a Motorola technology that utilizes a portion of internal storage as virtual RAM. In models like the Moto G06 and G35, 4GB of physical RAM is supplemented by 8GB of RAM Boost, totaling 12GB of effective memory. This improves performance, allowing more apps to remain open simultaneously, although virtual memory is slower than physical memory—it is well-suited for daily use.
Prices and availability of these smartphones within the 8.8 campaign can change frequently, so it is recommended not to delay the purchase. Users should click the links, compare models, and take advantage of the discounts while they are available.
