The World Tourism Organisation has reported that one of the primary socio-economic development drivers in Africa is the growing tourism industry, and mobile technology is playing an increasing role in the boom of international visitors to countries across that continent. FNB Business niches head, Wiza Nyondo, explained that “Tourism in Africa continues to prove its resilience despite numerous challenges across the continent. In South Africa, the sector faces challenges such as the lack of consistent power supply and restrained economic growth. However, a weaker Rand mitigates some of these factors as the country remains a cost-effective destination for international travelers.” …

A SYDNEY start-up believes Blue­tooth low-energy technology like Apple’s iBeacon could act as a personal digital concierge as it prepares to wire up GPT Group, which has $16.7 billion worth of assets. The nascent technology could further proliferate when AirService begins deploying mobile ­ordering solutions for an undisclosed restaurant chain, said to be one of Australia’s largest. AirService has a mobile app for ordering food and beverages that will be used by large property developers such as GPT and LendLease so workers do not have to leave the office to get fed.

2015 is already shaping up to be the year when mobile payments move out of Starbucks and into the mainstream. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) released its payment service last fall, and Samsung and Google just announced payment platforms of their own at Mobile World Congress. Meanwhile, digital payments leader, PayPal, is not sitting idly by as more competitors move into its territory. While the soon-to-be-separated eBay subsidiary has had trouble shifting to mobile, its latest acquisition will help defend its turf. The payments company recently acquired Paydiant, the company behind the CurrentC app, designed byWal-Mart, Best Buy, CVS, and other members of the Merchant Customer Exchange.

Roadie, an alternative shipping service offering a cheaper way to get your items to a remote destination by piggy-backing on drivers heading in that same direction, is today rolling out across the U.S. Until now the service was only available in select states, mainly in the Southeast U.S. The company is headquartered in Atlanta and has been steadily expanding outward from there since its recent launch. Though only live since January of this year, Roadie says it has seen over 20,000 downloads of its mobile application, which is how its customers and drivers access the service. That’s a notable increase in downloads …

Smartphone users who live and work in Toronto have some good news headed their way as a new mobile app will soon become available that will make it more convenient for them to use the Green P outdoor parking lots that are located throughout the city. According to a report that was printed in The Toronto Star, “City-owned Toronto Parking Authority unveiled a free app and said that, by the end of spring, motorists should be able to use it to pay to park — and remotely extend their time if needed — at all outdoor Green P lots that currently use …

Online purchases made through mobile phones have more than doubled in India over the past two years according to research. The MasterCard Online Shopping Survey 2014 covered 7,000 respondents in 14 countries across Asia Pacific and found that Indian mobile shoppers were second only to those in China, with 62.9% of respondents having used the device to make online purchases, compared to 70.1%. India was just ahead of Taiwan on this count, where 62.6% of respondents had made this type of purchase via mobile, followed by Thailand (58.8%) and Indonesia (54.9%). Overall, 95% of Indian respondents with a mobile phone had access …

Marketers’ need to offer consumers a more personal retail experience is challenged by just 20 percent of shoppers wanting retailers to know their current location, according to a new Accenture survey. The Accenture Personalization Survey found that 14 percent want to share their browsing history, contrasted with the nearly 60 percent who want real-time promotions and offers. The division on retailers’ tactics and the types of personal information consumers feel comfortable disclosing points to marketers’ need to offer something truly valuable to break the ice.

7-Eleven is driving purchases of its beverages while simultaneously rewarding customers for their loyalty by rolling out the 7Rewards platform within its mobile application, proving that food and beverage marketers must have a specific loyalty strategy to retain existing consumers. The 7Rewards program will enable guests to receive a free beverage for each six cups they purchase, a move that will reward frequent coffee purchasers and likely entice new consumers to become regular customers. The platform will also help drive downloads of the brand’s mobile app, as consumers must be registered users to participate in 7Rewards.

Australian startup Bluedot Innovation has won a partnership deal with the mobile commerce platform for Taco Bell, Sonic and other major US brands. Cardfree, a mobile commerce company, has signed an exclusive agreement to use Bluedot’s location-based services technology in US restaurants. Bluedot will enable restaurants to send marketing to customers based on their location. Bluedot, a Melbourne-based startup profiled in 2013 in Techworld Australia, sells a patented SDK for geolocation that can obtain the precise location of a person’s smartphone for payments without the battery drain usually associated with GPS use. Earlier this year, Bluedot announced an expansion into the US after raising …

Amazon’s Zappos, already a leader in mobile shopping convenience, continues to focus on streamlining the experience even more, which is why it is the latest retailer to make Apple’s Touch ID technology available to its application users. The online shoe retailer updated its iPhone and iPad apps last week, giving users the option to log in with Touch ID. Mobile passwords can be a hassle to remember and key in but with Touch ID, users are logged in and ready to check out with a single touch.