Equity Bank has finally launched the thin SIM that provides a mobile payment, mobile banking and telecom services to its customers

Equity Bank Group has finally launched its thin SIM card to offer voice, SMS, data and mobile-to-bank money transfer services

Transfer of money within Equity Bank will be free and will only attract a fee while transferring from Equity Bank account to other banks.

Equity Group CEO James Mwangi says voice communications will Sh4 across all networks and one shilling for SMS, while mobile money transfer services will be free.

“The free money transfer services is like Internet banking services. What we are saying is why should the low income people be paying while the rich don’t pay so that when you transfer money from your account to your mothers account there will be no charge,” Mwangi said during the launch on Monday.

“With Equitel you will be able to send money to any telecom, bank account or mobile phone in the country,” Mwangi added.

Equitel is operating under Equity bank’s subsidiary Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with infrastructure support provided by Airtel.

A new thin SIM card will go for Sh600 for new customers with no accounts at Equity Bank and who may be required to open accounts with the bank to enjoy the banking services. However the other normal cards will be given for free.

The thin SIM will start with the prefix of 0764 after the bank hit one million users under the 0763 prefix during the pilot project which was on the normal SIM cards.

READ: Government backs thin SIM technology

In partnership with switches in the market which include Kenswitch, Paynet and Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) customers can instantly send up to Sh1 million to all banks for Sh200 all days of the week.

“With the use of the switches that exist in the country, you can now transfer money from one bank to another even on a Sunday. Transfers of money have always been restricted to during the morning hours when clearing house is open. But now we have bypassed clearing because of this interconnection,” Mwangi explained.

The launch of the thin SIM comes after a long struggle which went up to the courts after complaints that use of the cards in the market was not safe.

Safaricom had raise concerns that the use of the thin SIM by placing it on top of customers’ existing SIM cards would interfere with privacy.

However Equity Bank won the battle after being cleared by the High Court in May this year.

Source:capitalfm

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Sending money to Kenya ... M-Pesa it!

Over 7 million M-Pesa customers in Tanzania and over 18 million Safaricom customers in Kenya can now send and receive money from each other. This revolutionary service allows for mobile wallet to wallet transfers between the two largest telecom operators in East Africa. Now, customers can transfer funds across the border at the same rate as sending money locally.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam, Vodacom Tanzania’s Managing Director said available statistics indicate that over TZS 200 billion is sent from Tanzania to Kenya annually, while the latter sends over 26 billion to Tanzania. "Statistics from the World Bank, (2013) indicate that Tanzania sent approximately TZS 200 billion to Kenya through formal channels. Estimates would indicate that more than twice that amount was transacted via informal channels including bus drivers, friends and family" stated Meza.

 

"We have looked into the hurdles that our customers need to overcome in order to send and receive money across to our neighbors in Kenya and have come up with a safe, secure and convenient way to do so. From today one doesn’t need to send money by  suka wa basi au konda or incur hefty charges to transfer school fees, buy goods or settle business payments,  he or she can do so directly from their M-Pesa wallet and… from the comfort of their home, anytime the need arises , "  says Meza.

For his part, Safaricom's Chief Operating Officer Bob Collymore said "We believe that we have launched a new chapter in the continuing growth story of M-Pesa Enabling transactions between Kenya and Tanzania will make it ever-more convenient for businesses and individuals to transact across borders and unleash the transformative power of a first of its kind cross-border payment system."

"Vodacom customers will from today be able to send and receive money to and from Kenya through the same process that they are already used to. Their experience is the same as that of sending money nationally, the only difference is that a customer can now choose option 3 - send money to M-Pesa Kenya- and enter the mobile number beginning with the +254…prefix,” added Meza. “Even before the money is sent, the customer will be shown the Kenyan Shillings equivalent value of the money that the customer in Kenya will receive. The currency conversion will happen immediately and the money will be available instantly for withdrawal or making bill payments, buying airtime or any other services on M-Pesa" he added.

M-Pesa is offered by Vodacom Tanzania Limited and Safaricom in Kenya – the region’s two biggest telecom operators. Vodacom has approximately 65% market share of mobile financial services in Tanzania whereas Safaricom commands over 80% share in Kenya. Meza further says, “Our combined distribution of over 150,000 agents in Tanzania and Kenya will ensure that our customers continue to enjoy the many benefits that M-Pesa offers them today. This groundbreaking service in the evolution of mobile financial services as we know it today is supported by a fully-fledged customer service unit that is reachable 24 hours every day.”

"Kenya is Tanzania’s largest trading partner and it was therefore logical that we activate the service there first. This is our own way of further cementing the ties that bind the people of the EAC region," says Meza. He goes on to say that communication is about connecting people and communities regardless of the geographical barriers that stand between them – something that Vodacom does only too well across the countries where it has a presence around the world.

Tanzania is home to approximately 300,000 Kenyans who remit funds to their home country via informal ways and channels including bus drivers, friends and family. There is also a sizeable part of the Tanzanian population that has chosen to educate their children in Kenya and rely on the very same means to transfer money. "This service will now empower a trader or a small business owner in Kariakoo or any other part of Tanzania to transact with his customers or suppliers in Kenya.  For the parents whose children go to school in Kenya, settlement of school fees has been simplified because of this service. Gone are the days that bus drivers, friends and family had to carry cash across the border to settle such dues For all Kenyans who reside in Tanzania today, M-Pesa now makes it easier for them to send and receive money home" added Meza.

"This service will also eradicate the need for people to carry large amounts of money in physical cash. For, it is CONVENIENT, SECURE and DIRECT and reaches the intended person INSTANTLY.  This is what Making Life Better is all about." says Meza.

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Telecom firms ‘reprimanded’

THE Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) intends to take measures against telecom firms that reviewed promotion data tariffs without its express permission.

The law, section 5(2) and 12(2) of the 2011 Electronic and Postal Communications (Tariffs Regulations), directs telecoms to file their new tariffs plans prior to being used.

However, Vodacom, Tigo and Airtel, unilaterally changed their daily, weekly and monthly voice, SMS and internet bundles reducing substantially data package amounts and prices.

TCRA Communications Manager Innocent Mungy said in Dar es Salaam that although the tariffs adjusted were of promotional nature the providers were supposed to notify the regulator before putting them into effect.

“TCRA is not regulating promotion tariffs but the law directs them to notify us prior of use,” Mr Mungy pointed out, noting that the telecom firms have for long enticed customers to use internet data thus going into a promotion binge.

“The trend shows that providers have reduced heavily on internet and want subscribers to start buying normal internet bundles,” he said.

According to the TCRA statement, the authority shall impose penalties as shall be (deemed) necessary, directing service providers “to adhere to the law when reviewing their tariffs.” The authority also directed telecom firms to ensure that any changes are “gradual and not abrupt to avoid shocks in the markets”.

The regulator’s intervention into the matter has come following the subscribers’ outcry after the three providers heavily slashed bundle amounts despite the service being optional among users.

Promotional prices show that telecom service providers have increased the number of minutes for voice and SMS amount but reduced internet bundles considerably.

The most affected area was on internet bundles where the lowest daily tariffs went down to between 8.0 and 10 megabytes from between 15 and 250mbs.

Weekly megabytes plummeted to between 60 and 70mb from between 100 and 2000 while monthly to between 250 and 300mb from between 300 and 4000mb while monthly down to between 300 and 4000mb to between 250 and 300mb.

However, TCRA directs service providers to give their customers choice of separate bundle plans.

For the voice, SMS and internet services, a consumer should be given the liberty of how much to spend for a given price and period of time.

Source: DailyNews

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Tigo announced today that its General Manager, Diego Gutierrez, will be leaving the company

Tigo announced today that its General Manager, Diego Gutierrez, will be leaving the company on 1st April to take on a new role in the group.  He will be replaced on an interim basis by Cecile Tiano who begins work in Tanzania this week.

Mr Gutierrez has enjoyed considerable success with Tigo in Tanzania. Having joined from Tigo Ghana in 2009, initially as Deputy General Manager, and then as General Manager from 2012, he has been instrumental in driving Tigo’s progress. In his time, it grew by 100% to over eight million customers, successfully rolled out 3G and MFS, and became a powerhouse of innovation with developments such as free Facebook, Tigo Pesa returning cash to users, interoperability and cross-border-payments with currency conversion.

With such expertise in mobile money, Diego is to become Millicom’s Head of Mobile Financial Services for Latin America.       

Cecile Tiano joins the team having most recently been Tigo’s interim General Manager in DR Congo.  Prior to that she was a consultant to both Tigo Ghana and Tigo Tanzania having previously worked in senior roles in telecoms, media and internet.  

Commenting on the changes, Arthur Bastings, Executive Vice-President for Africa of Millicom, said “Diego has done a fantastic job at Tigo – providing real innovation in the market with a number of world firsts.  Partly as a result of his contributions, Tanzania has become a world leader in the Mobile Financial Services space and the internet has become an affordable reality for broad parts of the population.  We wish him well in his new role as we welcome Cecile to Tanzania. She is a very accomplished business executive and I know she will continue to provide strong leadership to the team.”

source: Tigo Tanzania

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TIGO TANZANIA AND DEEZER LAUNCH 36 MILLION-TRACK MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE

Dar es Salaam, January 13th, 2015.  Tigo today announced the launch of Tigo Music through a partnership with Deezer, the international music streaming service that will provide Tanzanians with unlimited music experience.

Announcing the launch of the new service in Dar es Salaam, Tigo Brand Manager, William Mpinga said through pre-paid data bundles from January 24, Tigo customers will be able to access more than 36 million tracks, including African and Tanzanian artistes, on their phones and tablets.

Additionally, Tigo will also be sourcing exciting new and local content through a new venture with the digital music company, Africa Music Rights, which funds, acquires and manages music rights across the African continent. Mpinga said.

There will be a launch ceremony for Tigo Music at Dar es Salaam’s Leaders Club grounds on January 24 where members of the public will be treated to live performances by leading local musicians such as Diamond Platinum, Ali Kiba, Professor J, Vanessa Mdee, Ben Paul, Isha Mashauzi, Malaika Band, Khadija Kopa, Yamoto Band, Msondo, Sikinde among others.

Apart from giving Tigo customers unlimited access to local and international music, Tigo Music, according to Mr. Mpinga, will accord local artists with an opportunity earn extra payment from their songs listened to through the service. Tigo will provide them training on how to use and benefit from the service, he said.

“Tigo Tanzania is a company built on innovation. We are excited to be the first telecommunication company in Tanzania to give our customers such access to unlimited music.

“As a digital lifestyle brand, our goal is to impact the music industry by providing a platform that not only allows for easy access to content by local artists, but also train our musicians on important issues such as intellectual property rights and marketing. This is our way of supporting local talent and growing the local music industry.” he added.

Tigo will introduce a variety of music service packages which will allow customers access through *148*00#.

The introduction of Tigo Music in Tanzania follows the success of its launch in Ghana in 2014 and Latin America in 2013. It has since become an integral part of people’s daily digital lives and synonymous with live music events headlined by some of the world’s best-known artists as well as with close-up studio recordings.

Music streaming is the fastest growing area for the global music industry and music content is already the second most popular mobile phone feature in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Jubilee, Vodacom partner in health insurance

VODACOM Head of Marketing & Communications, Mr Kelvin Twissa, clarifies procedures to purchase health insurance services via M-Pesa during the launch of a product known as bimaAFYA to the Deputy Commissioner of Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), Mr Juma Makame in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Looking on is Jubilee Insurance Company Tanzania CEO, Mr George Alande

AT last the insurance sector in partnership with Vodacom Tanzania has made access to health services easily affordable to many people in the low-income bracket.

This follows a health cover launched by Jubilee Insurance Company Tanzania, a leading Insurance provider in East Africa, powered by Vodacom’s M-PESA.

The product known as bimaAFYA is an affordable and comprehensive medical cover that will provide individuals and family premium cover at low price range while giving the users access to over 150 hospitals.

The insured will get inpatient, out-patient and maternity services in the hospitals. bimaAFYA is designed to cater for monthly, tri-monthly, quarterly and yearly packs at affordable premium prices.

“Like other African countries, Tanzania has for a long time been accused of lacking a culture of adopting insurance covers to cater for the needs of her population.

“However we believe that the real reason is the high cost of medical insurance packages currently in the market which favour the corporate staff.

There is a large percentage of the population who still pay for their medical expenses out of pocket,” said Mr Kelvin Twissa, Vodacom Head of Marketing and Communications.

“bimaAFYA, will therefore enable many Tanzanians to enrol in a medical insurance service equivalent to what M-PESA is to the financial services,” added Mr Twissa.

The Jubilee Insurance company of Tanzania CEO, Mr George Alande, noted that statistics indicate that only 18 per cent of the Tanzanian population have health insurance.

He said those covered were mainly employer based medical insurance covers because only a few individuals could afford current prices.

According to the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) in 2013, medical insurance premium compared to the total premium for insurance market was only 19 per cent of the total short term insurance covers sold.

“We need to increase this by covering all the Tanzanians who are able to pay the premiums charged under bimaAFYA product,” he said.

Source: Dailynews

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MTN announces United Against Ebola initiative

Telecoms company MTN has announced it is launching United Against Ebola, a three-month long initiative that would involve the network’s 219 million subscribers to raise funds for the fight against the Ebola virus disease.

The network in a statement said it has committed US$10 million and is inviting customers to participate in an SMS campaign to donate a minimum of US$1. It is also working with some of Africa’s most celebrated musicians to produce an inspirational song for digital download on its MTN Play store. All proceeds from sales, post publishing rights and subscription payments, it said, will be donated to the AU campaign.

“MTN is supporting this campaign to give further impetus to concerted efforts aimed at combating the Ebola epidemic and saving lives. As MTN, we believe the only way to start reversing the devastating effects of the outbreak is to come together to tackle the spread of the disease, and ease the suffering it continues to inflict on families and communities,” said Sifiso Dabengwa, MTN Group President and CEO.

Source: Humanipo

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Mobile industry has transformed millions of lives across Africa – GSMA

Anne Bouverot, Director General of the GSMA has said the mobile industry has transformed the lives of millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa. Bouverot said this while commenting on ‘Mobile Economy 2014: Sub-Saharan Africa’, the new GSMA report released at the Mobile 360-Africa event in Cape Town, South Africa.

“The mobile industry has transformed the lives of millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa, providing not just connectivity but also an essential gateway to a wide range of healthcare, education and financial services,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General of the GSMA.

According to the DG, over the next years, Africa will record millions of new subscribers.

“As today’s report shows, millions of additional citizens in the region will become mobile subscribers over the next six years, with many being able to access the internet for the first time via low-cost smartphones and mobile broadband networks. Operators and other ecosystem players, as well as governments and regulators, all have a role to play in ensuring that affordable mobile services can be extended across the region,” said Bouverot.

According to GSMA, over the last five years, Africa has been the world’s fastest-growing mobile region in terms of both unique mobile subscribers and mobile connections, and is forecast to continue to lead global growth through 2020. It said unique mobile subscriber penetration as a percentage of the region’s population is forecast to rise to 49 per cent by this point.

Source:humanipo

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BBC launches Ebola information service on WhatsApp

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched an Ebola information service on the popular multimedia instant communication platform WhatsApp.

The corporation said the service is in English and French languages. It will provide public health information on Ebola from the BBC, using audio, text message posts and images. Furthermore, the service would deliver Ebola-related breaking news alerts to subscribers.

Other features of the service include News About Ebola, a news and information programme broadcast twice every weekday, the focus of the programme is on the affected region of West Africa. It would also feature Ebola Infos, a twice-daily Ebola bulletin in French on BBC Afrique, and increased partnerships with other broadcasters.

Director of the World Service Group Peter Horrocks said: “This outbreak of Ebola shows no signs of abating. Myths and misinformation about Ebola are still widespread – and life-threatening. The BBC is trusted by millions of people in the affected countries, so we are stepping up our efforts to reach people with timely information, whether they’re listening to the radio, watching TV or using chat apps. We’re committed to playing our part and will continue looking at new ways to reach audiences, for example by developing programmes in local vernacular languages.”

source: Humanipo

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Phone companies partner on e-money transactions

Tigo, Airtel and Zantel on Wednesday signed an agreement allowing its customers in Tanzania send money to each other on their mobile handsets.

"The service will start by end of this month. This is the first agreement in Africa to adopt such 'interoperability' whereby Mobile network operators allows their customer to send and receive money across the network and the e-money goes direct to the respective customer e-wallet account, " it was announced on Wednesday.

CHIEF Executive Officers of three mobile phone companies (from left to right), Zantel’s, Prapat Ghose, Tigo’s, Diego Gutierrez and Airtel Managing Director, Sunil Colaso join hands together to mark the launch of a new Mobile Financial System (MFS) Interoperability Partnership at a short ceremony held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.

The joint press statement also listed other benefits customers of the three companies would enjoy as the ability to send money at more affordable rates and in a simplified way which does not require use of PIN codes when making withdrawals as had been the practice before signing of the agreement.

Tigo's General Manager for Tanzania, Mr Diego Gutierrez, commented, "We are delighted to work with Airtel and Zantel to extend the mobile money universe in Tanzania.

"With even more transactions possible, our customers' money is made even more safe and secure with this technology. Just as we co-operate with our competitors on voice calls and text to help our customers, so we hope to be able to do the same with mobile money and help make Tanzania a global pioneer in digital financial inclusion."

On his part Airtel Managing Director Sunil Colaso said: "Airtel is committed to introduce to our customers new innovative services that look beyond competition, a tremendous evolution to ensure mobile inclusion that is sought by many Tanzanians taking into account our reach across the country."

"Today's partnership will bring our customers closer to mobile service and ease their use of mobile money services," added Mr Colaso.

Zantel's Managing Director Pratap Ghose, said "Zantel has a strong commitment to excellence and innovation, and thus is happy about this partnership which will enable all our customers to conduct their businesses efficiently and with ease across Tanzania.

"Zantel is proud to have been the pioneer in launching Mobile payments in 2008; and hence will work with the industry and the regulatory bodies to ensure that we offer 'best in class' service to our customers", added Mr Ghose.
Source:Dailynews

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All You Need to Know About M-Pawa

Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) has partnered with Vodacom to launch M-Pawa, a revolutionary mobile banking service that makes it possible for millions of Tanzanians to save, earn interest and borrow money using their mobile phones.The launch of this service has made big news all over social, and traditional media. But is this service worth all the hype? Let’s see.

We can all agree that opening an M-Pawa account is easy, convenient and fast. Better still, you get to open your account from the comfort of your mobile phone wherever whenever. All you need to be is a registered Vodacom subscriber, registered M-Pesa user and have an active Vodacom M-Pesa account/line/. As it is the norm, you should be of legal with identification documentation.

If you meet the above qualifications,the process is simple.

What functions are available on the M-Pawa Menu?
The following options are available on M-Pawa menu;

• Send money
• Withdraw money
• Loan
• Balance
• Mini-statement
• Terms and conditions

Is there a need for different PINs for M-Pesa and M-Pawa accounts?
No. M-Pesa and M-Pawa accounts use the same PIN.

How do I activate M-Pawa?

• Go to M-Pesa menu (*150*00#)
• Select “M-Pawa”
• Go to “Activate account”. The 2nd option is Terms & Conditions
• Enter M-Pesa PIN
• A message will appear requesting whether you have read and accept the Terms & Conditions. After accepting; an SMS will be sent informing you that your M-Pawa request has been received and will be processed shortly.
• A notification to confirm that your account has been successfully created will follow.

How can you deposit money to your savings account?
You can deposit money into your savings account with the following steps:

• Go to ‘M-Pesa’ menu
• Select “M-Pawa”
• Select ‘Send to M-Pawa’
• Enter the amount to be sent
• Enter M-Pesa PIN
• Confirm the message displayed by pressing 1 to confirm or 2 to cancel
• Wait for deposit confirmation message.

How can you withdraw money from your savings account?

• Go to M-Pesa menu
• Select “M-Pawa”
• Select ‘Withdraw from M-Pawa’.
• Enter Amount
• Enter M-Pesa PIN
• Confirm the details then press 1 to confirm
• Wait for a confirmation SMS message.

Loans

For the first loan you will be eligible to take, you should have deposited money into your account. the amount you can borrow will be based on your usage of Vodacom Voice and DATE as well as M-Pesa usage.

Early loan repayments will increase your future loan qualification. Remember, your loan limit is dependent on your previous loan repayment behavior and usage of other Vodacom services.

You will be able withdraw cash from your nearest M-Pesa agent and you can access a mini statement of you M-Pawa transactions conveniently via SMS.

Next Big Thing?

M-Pawa is probably the next big thing. Convenience of paperless, safe and fast service can’t go unnoticed. The service will help nature a saving culture given the competitive interest calculated daily and paid out at the end of each calendar quarter. Lack of ledger fees, withdrawal and deposit charges makes the service affordable.

source:theceo

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Tigo Tanzania partners DTBi for ICT deployment

Tigo Tanzania has penned an agreement with the Dar Teknohama Business Incubator (DTBi) that will see the company support the incubator in promoting local talent and employment generation through ICT.

Speaking during the launch of the partnership held at Commission of Science and Technology headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Tigo Tanzania general manager Diego Gutierrez said the partnership with DTBi will give upcoming Tanzanian scientists an opportunity to learn and develop their talents with the view of promoting technology-based businesses that would provide digital solutions to the society.

“ICT currently contributes around 2.3 per cent of GDP in the country; Tigo is therefore determined to lift the benchmark to a higher level through the investment of people. This Is why through the Dar Teknohama Business Incubator (DTBi) Tigo intends to provide 10 Master’s degree scholarships per year, an internship programme and employment opportunities for those interested in ICT studies,” Gutierrez said.

Also present was the country’s minister for science, communications and technology Prof Makame Mbarawa, who commended Tigo and DTBi for the partnership.

“We believe that this partnership will not only provide our youth with an opportunity to showcase their talents and earn a decent living but will lead to continued diversification of economic activities that our country needs for speedy socio-economic growth,” he said.

source:humanipo

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Safaricom allows instantaneous mobile banking on M-Pesa

Leading Kenya operator Safaricom has upgraded the M-Pesa Application Programme Interface (API), making it possible for customers to make mobile banking transactions instantaneously.

The API, which previously allowed for an average transaction time of two hours, has been adjusted to allow them to take place in less than 30 seconds.

Safaricom said it is projected the move will work towards a cash-lite society through a more effective mobile-banking proposition, while also helping in streamlining operations for businesses that disburse staff salaries or receive payments through M-Pesa and require to move cash to bank accounts on a regular basis.

“Innovation is a continuous process at Safaricom and that is why we have been seeking ways to deliver services to customers with speed and efficiency. Twelve leading banks and 26 SACCOs have already migrated to the new platform and migration is on-going for 30 other institutions,” said Safaricom chief executive officer (CEO) Bob Collymore.

Safaricom’s general manager for financial services Betty Mwangi-Thuo said: “The growth of mobile banking is being fuelled by our customers’ desire for more convenience and greater efficiency. The advent of M-Pesa provided Kenyans with an unprecedented degree of financial liberation and the pressure is therefore on us to stay ahead of the market by continuously coming up with innovations that respond to or predict market needs.”

Source:humanipo

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Vodacom Tanzania to provide access to rural areas

According to Rene Meza, Managing Director for Vodacom Tanzania, the company will provide the necessary telecommunications services to over 460 rural villages which span over 70 wards. According to the company, the number of citizens that will benefit from the telecommunications project will be close to 1-million.

“The tender was issued by the Universal Communication Services Access Fund (UCSAF) as part of the Tanzania Communications Infrastructure and e-Government Project (RCIP Tanzania) funded by the International Development Association,” the company explained.

Vodacom Tanzania is only one of a number of companies that pitched for a number of tenders, and the total tenders approved by the Universal Communication Services Access Fund spans 152 wards, targeting about 1.6 million people.

“UCSAF was established to promote universal access to information and communications technology in the country in order to promote social, economic development in both rural and urban underserved areas,” Vodacom Tanzania said in a statement.

source:ITnews

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Majority Tanzanians accessing mobile phone money services

OVER half of Tanzania's adult population currently have access to financial services compared to just 27 per cent in the year 2009, thanks to mobile phone money services which central bank boss Prof Benno Ndulu describes as 'electronic wallet.'

The improvement, which stands at 57 per cent of the population above 16 years old, has mainly been made possible through the use of mobile money services which have spread throughout the country, a new report launched yesterday dubbed FinScope Tanzania 2013, says.

According to the report, half of all adult Tanzanians use their mobile handsets to remit, receive and save money, or pay bills.

During the last FinScope Tanzania 2009 report, about 11 million people above 16 years were not included in financial services but the number had reduced by almost a half to 6 million, the report shows in its findings.

At the launch of the report in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor, Prof Benno Ndulu, said the aim now was to reach three-quarters of the adult population.

"During the year 2011 we set a target of reaching 50 per cent by the year 2016, but we have managed to surpass the target thanks to mobile money services which have helped deepen financial services," the central bank boss said.

Some 8,000 people were interviewed in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar last year to come up with the report, which is compiled after every three years to determine access of financial and insurance services to the population.

Prof Ndulu however challenged banks and financial institutions to cooperate with mobile network operators to devise products that would enable subscribers access loans through their mobile phone handsets.

"Access to financial services should also be complemented with affordable, quality services as well as a wide range of products," Prof Ndulu remarked.

He pointed out that when mobile operators started offering money transfer services, banks and financial institutions complained of unfair competition, only to realize latter that they could use mobile services as a platform to offer their services.

The central bank boss also urged banks to spread out services through agency banking which is less costly as compared to 'brick and mortar' branches.

The FinScope 2013 findings show however that there were about 3.3 million people using banks, representing just 14 per cent of the population.

Speaking at the occasion, Head of UK's Department for International Development (DfID), Mr Elliott Marshall, said the department supports FSDT as realizes the importance of financial access in eradicating poverty.

"Tanzania has however made tremendous achievements in the use of mobile money services which have boosted access to financial services," Mr Marshall, who represented development partners at the occasion, remarked.

A representative of mobile network operators, Mr Diego Gutierrez, said Tanzania could soon become one of the leading countries using mobile money services.

"There are currently 12 million active subscribers across the four major players in the industry which offer mobile money services," Mr Gutierrez told delegates at the launching ceremony.

Source:dailynews

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Airtel Kenya removes Chief Executive Officer

Mobile operator Airtel Kenya has replaced Chief Executive Officer Shivan Bhargava, and the position has now been filled by Milicom’s Tigo Ghana general manager Adil El Yousseffi. According to sources close to the situation, Bhargava left because he wanted to spend more time with his family in India.

Bhargava took over from Rene Meza, and started his career at Airtel Kenya as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2012. Meza has since been appointed CEO of Vodacom Tanzania.

According to CIO, “Bhargava’s departure coincides with the takeover of yuMobile subscribers by Airtel Kenya following a deal which will see Essar exit the Kenyan market after years of losses. The deal would see Airtel add an additional 2.1 million new subscribers to its network, pushing their marketshare above the 25% mark with a combined user base of 8.2 million subscriptions.”

In another boardroom shuffle, former managing director of Bharti Enterprises Manoj Kohli has been replaced by Gopal Vittal, effective from 1 April 2014.

Bhargava took over at Airtel just as the company saw an increase its market share from 15 percent to 16.5 percent in one quarter, and he was also questioned by police over unregistered SIM cards following the Westgate mall terrorist attack.

source:ITnews

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