Two Zambian operators announce mobile money initiatives
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Two Zambian operators have announced major digital finance initiatives in the past week, MTN with an eye to the international market and Airtel focusing on in-country payment requirements.
MTN Mobile Money Zambia has launched a new service that enables customers to send money directly from their Mobile Money (MoMo) wallets to international bank accounts across countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.
This, it claims, makes it Zambia’s first mobile money provider to offer direct wallet-to-bank international transfers into these markets.
This service allows customers in Zambia to transfer funds to overseas bank accounts using globally recognised banking identifiers, through the MoMo app or via the USSD code.
The service is said to support the growing number of Zambians making international payments for education, medical services, business transactions, trade and family support, while removing the need for physical visits to banks or over-reliance on informal, and often costly, money transfer channels.
With this launch, MoMo customers can now send money directly to global bank accounts with confidence and ease. It’s also described as affordable, allowing customers to send money globally for as low as ZMK5 (US$0.25).
Meanwhile Airtel Money Zambia has introduced Airtel Money Village Banking, a digital platform designed to modernise how village banking groups, cooperatives and savings collectives manage and grow their funds.
Accessible via an onscreen menu, the service offers what is described as a secure, transparent and efficient way for groups to handle deposits, withdrawals and member contributions directly through Airtel Money.
This digital solution is said to preserve the traditional community savings model while enhancing it with technology that ensures safety, accountability and convenience for every member; it includes real-time transaction tracking and digital statements.
Groups can register through an app and gain full visibility of both individual and collective transactions, significantly reducing the risks associated with cash handling and manual record-keeping.
