As the host of She Loves Tech 2019 Indonesia Local Round, ANGIN proudly announce that Noni Purnomo is now an Official Country Ambassador for She Loves Tech Indonesia 2019. She is a Business Woman, Philanthropist, and mother of 3 daughters. She was listed in “Power Women in Asia”by Forbes.
Known as the President Director of PT Blue Bird Tbk, she founded Blue Bird Peduli which recently launched the ‘Women Empowerment Project’ to empower more than 40,000 wives of Blue Bird Group employees and drivers. She is also actively supporting several start-up companies through her own investment company and through ANGIN Women Funds, which she was a co-founder. Her active involvement in several mentorship programs has recently awarded as “Mentor of the Year” by Endeavor Indonesia. She serves a board member of the Australia Indonesia Institute, a Chairperson of Intelligent Transport System Indonesia Chapter, Indonesian Transport Society Board of Presidium, Board of Advisor of IPMI, Coca Cola Amatil Indonesia and an advisor to Antler Asia. A Young Presidents Organization Member since 2003. As per March 2019, she was appointed as the member of member of University of Indonesia Board of Trustee member for period 2019-2024.
Read our interview with Noni Purnomo regarding her opinions on the tech trend in Indonesia!
Q: What is specific technology trending now in Indonesia?
Mobile payment (also known as e-money/e-wallet) is undoubtedly one of the most visible technology and lifestyle trends in Indonesia. Initiated 10 years ago, mobile payment growth in the next consecutive years have been exponential. Now mobile payment is widely used in everyday transaction in the urban parts of the country. This phenomenon has led to (i) the switch from cash and bank cards as the traditional mode of payments to mobile payment; and (ii) a wide participation of un-bankable segment in cashless payment mode.
Using a dedicated app or through API in third party apps, people in Indonesia cities now transact using mobile payment to pay for a wide range of everyday transactions from utility bills to insurance premium, from taxi ride to movie ticket, from buying foods to purchasing goods, both at online commerce and off-line merchant sites. A phenomenon leading to the like of what China’s payment landscape has now become.
This trend is reflected in the statistics where mobile wallet transaction value compounded annual growth rate for 2008 to 2014 was at 71%. Consecutively for 2015-2021 period, the compounded annual growth rate is predicted even higher at 85%. Those exponential figures are considered phenomenal for the case of a payment method adoption.
Dominated by few mobile payment issuers namely LinkAja, GoPay, OVO, Dana, and CIMB Rekening Ponsel, the technology in this field will continue to grow along with the growth of users and participating economic sectors.
Q: How is this technology impacting the society or everyday life in the community?
Due to its efficiency and convenience to use (cashless, less worry for change, no bank account required), mobile payment has attracted users in a massive way. This is on top of the strategy that e-money issuer has been using such as embedding mobile payment in their “super Apps” that are used by millions of people daily, making it easier to make transactions in those apps for their everyday needs. Issuers also generously lure people to try their mobile payment and use it more and more by providing loyalty points, discounts and cashback.
In society, this trend has both reduced the use of cash and also the role of banks in serving as the interface for transaction (through bank cards). Millions of people in unbankable segment can now participate in cashless transactions, or even use the facility to simply store their money. These days people start to make P2P deposit transfers between their mobile payment accounts (in household between family members, for remittance to families at hometown, for P2P transactions, among others) traditionally served through bank transfer or money transfer agent. In some industries people also even begin to receive their salaries in their mobile payment accounts.
On the merchant side, mobile payment has enabled informal economic sector’s participation in cashless transaction. Food hawkers, on-call cleaning service, even charity at houses of worship, among many others are now starting to receive cashless payment – reducing the hassle of providing change and the risks of carrying cash. We will see more and more of these.
Q: How do you think this technology develop further? What are other possible trends and impact you see in the future?
Firstly, the room for this mobile payment market is still very large. Some 180 million unbankable people in Indonesia provide enough rooms for every mobile payment issuer to keep growing rapidly for the next few years. Additionally, mobile payment has only been used 24 percent in overall e-commerce spend and as little as 5 percent in point-of-sale spend (Digital 2018 Indonesia Reportby We Are Social and Hootsuite).
Secondly, we will see the mobile payment technology ecosystem (among them are QR code, blockchain, payment gateway, mobile Point-of-Sale device) will continue to advance. We also expect to see mobile payment implementation in many different applications and approaches such that it becomes more integrated to our everyday activities.
On the concern of security and privacy, the big data capture that goes along with this technology will soon need to be accompanied by a more stringent regulation to protect individuals. We have growing number of frauds where data and access is being abused in different ways resulting financial or reputation damages to the users.
Nevertheless, mobile payment has now become a significant way of life for many Indonesians. Along with concerns on some of its aspects, its added value to the society is also tremendous. And as mobile payment technology leverages big data of which its value has linear correlation with big markets. Indonesia’s scale in South East Asia enables better economic of scale for mobile payment technology– thus providing a bright future for mobile payment development in the country.
Q: Why do you choose to support She Loves Tech?
I chose to support She Loves Tech because we share the same interest and passion: woman empowerment, technology development, entrepreneurship, investment.
I have been spending my entire career building, growing and now leading Blue Bird Group, a group of family businesses which has turned into one of the largest transportations and logistics company in Indonesia. Not only that Blue Bird Group has always been the pioneer in technology innovations, it is also proudly known for its woman empowerment program. Going beyond recruiting and putting women for key positions in a male-dominated industry, the program is also actively supporting and empowering housewives of our tens of thousands of drivers through a so-called ‘Kartini Bluebird’, which named after a historical Indonesian figure – the national inspiration for woman participation.
I’m a founder member of ANGIN – Angel Investor Network of Indonesia, the country’s first and largest investment network committed to building Indonesia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. From its beginning as a fund by women for women, women empowerment has always been one of ANGIN’s core values. Through its ‘Women Spotlight’, ANGIN actively showcases inspiring stories of women leaders and entrepreneurs throughout the country to aspire fellow young female leaders to embark on their own journeys.
I also serve as a mentor in Endeavour Indonesia, established in 2012, with a mission to build a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indonesia. Endeavor Indonesia’s founding Board of Directors comprises of Indonesian prominent business leaders who provide financial and strategic support while also serve as mentors for entrepreneurs in the network. Endeavour is actively supporting emerging markets’ long term sustainable economic development by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating high impact entrepreneurs.
Register here to join She Loves Tech 2019 Indonesia Competition and visit www.shelovestech.org for more information.
