1. Life at the BoP
Source: Tinga-tinga paintings in a
curio shop in the Mwenge district
(Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Wikimedia
Commons, by Moongateclimber
Understanding user lives and needs in Tanzania,
India and Senegal among smallholder farmers,
women entrepreneurs, and youth
Conducted for Movirtu by TNS
Sponsored by: Grassroots Business Fund, Frog Design and TLcom Capital LLP

2. Introduction to the findings
User-centred design is critically important for programmes with a commercial
and a social orientation, such as Movirtu’s mobile identity services targeted at the
base of the pyramid users in Africa and South Asia.
We believe the needs, wants, and challenges of users should be at the heart
of what Movirtu develops. We need to optimise our products around how users
can, want, or need to use that technology, rather than forcing users to change
behaviour to accommodate products.
In technology in general, and mobile communications in particular, statistics
abound. We have a wealth of quantitative and macro insight (eg percentage
Source: Movirtu Limited
penetration of phones or smartphones, use of agricultural information services
among farmers, economic impact on GDP of mobile services). Rather than create
more numbers, we use them along with a series of expert interviews to formulate
hypotheses and validate our findings.
500 million +
Africa
Social media
India
Facebook mobile phone subscribers
You Tube 246 million in 2008
Orkut In INCREASE OF OVER 100%
Blogspot
170m
110 million +
Internet users in 2010
4.5 million in 2000
1,200m 1,200m
15,000m INCREASE OF OVER 2357.3%
Source: http://mansitrivedi.tumblr.com/post/9410298128/infographic-asia-pacific-social-media-statistics Source: http://mansitrivedi.tumblr.com/post/4685320939/an-infographic-
breakdown-of-the-african

3. Their lives in their words
There is little publicly available documentation of conversations with people
living on $1-2/day about their lives, needs and aspirations. We need their input
if we are to continue to design mobile services that meet their needs and
deliver impact.
With our strategic research partners TNS, we listened in detail to nearly a
Source: Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
hundred end users in three countries during the course of this work. We selected
‘leading edge’ users: those likely to be engaged with and influential in technology.
We spoke with women entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and youth.
We are sharing a few high level insights in this brief overview, but there is much
more available that we would be happy to share.
We are making this research available for the good of all who work to the benefit
of the base of the pyramid around the world.
% of living at the
Base of the Pyramid
(1-2$ per day)
per country Tanzania email: hello@movirtu.com
India
Senegal
to share your thoughts, ask us questions,
or request further info.
Source: World Bank data
We welcome your interest.
63% 75% 89%

4. Country overview Source: Unicef
Source: Ray Witlin, World Bank
Source: CPAR
Source: flikr.com by ifc_skn
Senegal % of people
Tanzania
% of income involved
Spent on food
in smallholder
by farmers
% of farmers
India
farming
70%
80%
earning under
Rs 5000/acre
source: Povertyportal.org ($108)
growing wheat
80%
source: farmerswelfare.org, xe.com source: AFDB.org

5. Womens’ prime motivation Source: Unicef
is a better life for their children:
funding education is key
Across our markets, parents invest in education in order for their children to earn
a better income, have a better life, and support their families.
UK
World Bank Ed STATS
% of university
aged population
at university
Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
Source: UK BIS
India
Senegal
Tanzania
4.9% 13.2% 1.2% 40%
Average income per Source: World Bank EdStats 2007; World Bank
year in each country Data 2010; The Report: Senegal 2008
vs
cost of 1 year
at private
university
Senegal
India Tanzania
“children fromanow onwards…
my
I want to set foundation for
it means I do business and save
some money for them to
continue well in school
”
GNI:
$630
UNI:
$2100
GNI:
$1340
UNI:
$1487
GNI:
$530
UNI:
$1500
Siwatu, Woman Entrepreneurs Group, Tanzania

6. Farming is seen as low status and
risky: few farmers want their children
to carry on farming in the future
“ Our dreams are over:
My brother’s dream was
successful and he was able
to admit his daughter in
medical college
”
Gnunasekar, Farmer group, India
“ Farmer is seen as nothing
Anet, Farmer Group, Tanzania
”
“ Life is a lot ofencounter
challenges.
Source: Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
As farmers we
problems in weather
conditions, climatic
changes, and pests
attacking has increased
Allen, Farmer Group Tanzania
”

7. Religion is the bedrock of life,
guiding many decisions and
providing support in groups,
particularly for women.
% of religion by country
Senegal India
Tanzania
Source: Dakar, BBC
Source: Wikipedia
Islam:
90%
Other:
10%
Tamil Nadu
Hindu:
88%
Other
12%
Christian:
45%
Islam:
40%
Other:
15%
“ Religion runs marked by prayers of
daily life,
like a thread through
gratitude in times of plenty and prayers
of supplication in times of need.
“ Each morning
I pray to God for “
I belong to a
choir group and Religion confers identity on the
success in the work an Arabic reading
I do at the salon
Racky Youth, Group Senegal
” group (Maulid)
”
Richard, Youth Group, Tanzania
individual and the group
”
Source: “The story of Africa”, BBC

8. Life has become much more
expensive as a consumer.
The biggest squeeze is
Source: Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
at the Base of the Pyramid.
Peter Smerdon, “The people
hit hardest b
Africa spokesman this combina y
tion of facto
for the UN’s World are those livin rs
g on the razor’
Food Programme edge of pover s
ty. There is n
(WFP), told one single co ot
untry in Afr
The Times: not negati ica
vely affecte
Indeed, most d.
Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
countries in th
world are aff e
ected.”
World Commodity
“
Foodstuffs
used to be less
Price Index food & oil. expensive, but
now rice, oil,
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook
everything is very
expensive
”
Daba, Woman farmer, Senegal
“ We were buying sandals
for 700 TZS ($0.4) but now
“ Minimum wage
rules mean we
it costs 1500 TZS ($1).
”
cannot hire help
Farmer, Tanzania
Everything has gone up
”
Woman Entrepreneur Group, India

9. Youth are fascinated by technology.
They influence and educate adults.
India Internet use Tanzania % of farmers
who use the internet
6% 6% 7%
Source: Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
11% 11% 8% Yes
2%
14% 13%
15% Youth usage
is the majority No
and growing 98%
28%
30% fastest
33%
School going kids
Source: Bill & Melinda
Young men Gates Foundation
30% Working women
21% 27%
College going students
Older men
14% 12% 14%
Non working women
2007 2008 2009
“ I feel thedevelopment,withthey
technology
children go
so
the
“the Internet. My ten
Source: I-Cube, Internet &
Mobile Association Kids do everything
of India (IAMAI) and
IMRB
on can come up. We are very backward.
year old child goes to Let our kids understand and come
cybercafés. I haven’t
learned much because I
forward and we will welcome it
”
don’t know about it
Astou, Women Group, Senegal
” Mahalakshmi, Women Group , India

10. Opportunity to build trust in
mobiles through mass media
Trusted information sources for farmers in Tanzania:
Source: Jonathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
Source: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Radio
73%
Neighbour
58%
Local
Leaders
62%
Newspapers
15%
TV
10%
Mobile
SMS Alerts
10%
% of farmers
India
who have ever
used mobiles for
agricultural
% users who
BoP
information
listen to radio
“Where I am there’s no
“ We can
on a mobile
45%
electricity or water, but
there’s a radio
”
13% understand
world matters
”
Daba, Woman Group, Senegal
Source: CABI India
from TV
Source: TNS Mobile Life
Geeta, Woman Group, India

11. Implications
Our research has a number of implications for organisations who seek to serve the
needs of the world’s rural poor.
Existing surveys assume respondents welcome material gain today, and ask
users if they want home improvements or extra income, to which they reply yes.
When you ask people their point of view, they say their most powerful motivation is
Source: Jonathan Kalan
their childrens’ future, which can be improved through education. This insight can
be used as a core positioning for services designed to drive changes in behaviour.
Rural children need better support through secondary school, where there is
a large gap between rural and urban attendance. Mobile applications can play
a cost effective and scalable role in addressing the gap.
Hope is invested in the next generation because today’s rural farmers, even
the most productive, feel farming is low status, high risk, and has no future.
help for adults, who allow youth to show them how devices work and
This insight has some sobering consequences for the future payback of current farm
encourage them to use mobile themselves. Using youth to encourage
productivity interventions. Who will take over the farming when the productive
the adoption of technology within families and communities may
plots have been sold off to pay for kids’ schools, and when the next generation turn
be a productive strategy for services which rely on using mobile data
up their noses-literally and figuratively-at farming? Restoring some of the rightful
for the first time.
dignity of farmers can come through innovative and low-cost interventions such as
mobile weather and market price information combined with insurance, by scaling Radio in Tanzania and Senegal and television in India, as trusted and
and combining the current work of development innovators. widely available media, offer many opportunities beyond advertising
to highlight the value of mobile and technology services to the BoP.
The BoP’s spending power has been under significant pressure since 2008. All
The high penetration of radio listening on the mobile among the BoP
inputs and basics are much more expensive, though farmers enjoy none of the
offers ways of reaching users through a more trusted and familiar
benefit in the retail price hike of their produce. This insight challenges the notion
form than SMS messaging. Combining entertainment and pedagogy
of affordability in mobile. Penetration growth of mobile among this group was
creates ‘pull’ to services through characters and stories. The historically
meant to grow with the availability of ‘affordable’ handsets at $15 each. The BoP
validated model deserves to be brought into the digital age.
simply have less and less in their pockets, and the situation looks likely to continue.
Planning the adoption of mobile services must work within the purchasing constraints These are initial findings for public dissemination but we
of this group: shared usage as well as cost effective mobile identity services. welcome you to add to them. Visit our Movirtu Facebook
page, send us a tweet to @movirtu to comment, or email us
Technology adoption in these markets, as in many, rests in the hands of youth.
directly to ask for more at hello@movirtu.com.
Despite being the least likely to own devices, they have avid curiosity and
engagement, and learn how services work quickly. Their aptitude is of great

12. Acknowledgements
• Thanks to our expert interviewers, who gave generously of their time,
resources, and pointers to existing work
• Sharbendu Banerjee, CABI
• Niti Bhan, Sematech
Source: Johnathan Kalan for Movirtu Limited
• Jenny Everett, Program Manager, ANDE
• Robert Fabricant, Michael Cetaruk and the team at Frog Design
• Corina Gardner, Fiona Smith and Trina DasGupta, GSMA
• Amanda Gardiner and Christine Ribeiro, UNDP
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (for critical farmer segmentation)
• Tamara Giltsoff, founding partner, abundancy partners and TED fellow
• Stephen Haggard, consultant media and technology
Thanks for the expertise from our strategic research partners at TNS
• Nick Heller, Karina Pryzemski and team at Google EMEA in Nairobi, Mumbai, London and on the ground in Dar es Salaam,
Chennai, and Dakar.
• Jonathan Kalan, The BOP Project
Thanks to our investors TLcom Capital LLP, Gray Ghost™ DOEN Social
• Kabir Kumar and Xavier Faz and the team at CGAP Ventures Coöperatief, U.A. and Grassroots Business Fund.
• Ted London and Heather Esper, William Davidson Institute Most especially thank you to our hundred respondents in
Tanzania, India and Senegal, who shared their lives with us
• Alan Quayle, journalist and analyst and gave up their time so that we could understand their
world better from the inside.
• Harold Rosen and team at Grassroots Business Fund
Movirtu is the leading pioneer of Mobile Identity Management (MIM)
• Joanne Sawicki, CEO Ceres Communications
solutions for wireless telecommunication service providers. Movirtu has
• Vineeta Shetty and Kojo Boakye, CTO redefined the mobile landscape by using cloud infrastructure to tie a
mobile identity to a user rather than a device. www.movirtu.com