Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Title:** Zimbabwe's Economic Crisis & Africa's Fintech Revolution
**Summary:**
* Zimbabwe's economy collapsed in the mid-2000s due to hyperinflation (2nd highest in history) caused by authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe's policies, including printing excessive money and seizing land from experienced farmers.
* The crisis led to a severe shortage of physical currency, with daily inflation reaching 98%.
* However, this environment spurred innovation, as Zimbabwe (and other African countries) "leapfrogged" traditional banking systems, adopting mobile payment technologies (e.g., M-PESA in Kenya, EcoCash in Zimbabwe).
* These platforms, exploiting high mobile phone penetration, enabled widespread, convenient, and secure transactions, even for the unbanked population (approximately 80% of Sub-Saharan Africa).
* Today, Africa leads the world in mobile money, with Zimbabwe's economy becoming virtually cashless (90% of transactions digital in 2017).
* Despite ongoing challenges, this fintech revolution has increased the value of money, reduced theft, and improved access to credit, savings, and accountability.
Here are the extracted key facts, each given a number and presented in short sentences, excluding opinions:
**Geography and History**
1. Zimbabwe is home to the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls.
2. Victoria Falls is over twice the height of Niagara Falls.
3. The sound of Victoria Falls can be heard 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.
4. Zimbabwe has intricate stone ruins of an 11th-century palace city.
5. The country is home to Africa's Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos.
**Economy and Inflation**
6. Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980.
7. The country experienced the second-highest inflation in history, after Post-War Hungary, around 2007.
8. At its peak, Zimbabwe's inflation rate reached 100,000%.
9. A loaf of bread cost 30 billion Zimbabwean dollars at one point.
10. The government stopped reporting inflation numbers after reaching 100,000%.
11. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe printed higher denomination banknotes, including a 100 trillion-dollar note.
12. The 100 trillion-dollar note was worth approximately 40 US cents.
**Telecommunications and Finance**
13. Mobile phone penetration in many African countries stands at around 80%.
14. In sub-Saharan Africa, only about 20% of the population has a bank account.
15. Zimbabwe has 6.5 ATMs per 100,000 people.
16. In 2017, EcoCash (Zimbabwe's preferred mobile money app) had 6.7 million users, compared to 2 million bank accounts.
17. Digital payments accounted for 90% of Zimbabwe's $97.5 billion in total transactions in 2017, making the economy virtually cashless.
**Politics and Leadership**
18. Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years, until his deposition in 2017.
19. Mugabe's government was involved in the Second Congo War, which contributed to the country's economic crisis.
20. In 2000, Mugabe's government began forcibly seizing land from white farmers for redistribution.
**Miscellaneous**
21. The Kariba dam provides over half of Zimbabwe's electricity.
22. Frequent droughts in the region pose a significant threat to the country's electricity supply.