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BotswanaPost add BTC Smega to services
In their continued efforts to make life easier for their customers, BotswanaPost have joined forces with Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) to introduce BTC Smega Mobile Money.
Speaking at the launch in Gaborone last Thursday, BotswanaPost General Manager Business Development and Products, Kagiso Mokgosi described the occasion as a milestone moment in the parastatal’s 147-year history.
“BotswanaPost is one of the country’s oldest public service providers and takes pride in being the country’s leading one-stop-shop with a large network of over 140 post offices (including kiosks) and postal agencies countrywide.
“We are continuously seeking ways to expand our range of financial technology and as such are excited to announce our partnership with BTC. The partnership has introduced Smega products and services in all our Post Offices across the country,” explained Mokgosi, adding anyone interested in signing-up must have an active BTC Mobile number registered in their name.
Highlighting exactly how BotswanaPost customers will benefit from the new partnership, Mokgosi said, “All along customers were able to buy BTC airtime and Sim cards.
Now, with the introduction of Smega, customers will be able to access registration services as well as conduct Smega transactions, pay their BTC Mobile post-paid bill and water bill, buy prepaid electricity and transfer money to any of their beneficiaries.”
For his part, BTC Chief Commercial Officer, Edward Wicks said the opportunity to partner with BotswanaPost was too good to turn down.
“I am excited about this partnership as the BotswanaPost has over 220 outlets across Botswana and it fulfills a mandate of delivering mail, parcels and pensions hence everyone can access their services. This offers a chance to offer our services through a formal channel that is trusted by many people. Our mandate is about connecting businesses and bringing them into the digital world; mobile financial services have been a key pillar in our product offering and how we help people to live their lives better,” he said.
Wicks further pointed out the campaign was in keeping with both organisation’s efforts to push the 4th industrial revolution.
“If we can enable more people to come to the post office and register for Smega and purchase a Smega Black Visa card, which will enable them to transact at most post machines throughout the country and internationally in every Automated Teller Machine (ATM), that means we are bringing people into the digital space,” reiterated Wicks.
Meanwhile, BotswanaPost Value Centre General Manager, Walter Mosweu, noted their relationship with BTC would help both enterprises grow their customer base and revenue.
Giving a brief overview of some of the recent developments at BotswanaPost, Mosweu revealed, “To date, we have close to 21 operational kiosks across the country through strategic partnerships. We have commissioned a total of five Virtual Teller Machines in both rural and urban areas, namely: Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, Palapye and Seronga. All of these offer traditional postal services and value-added services like Insurance Premiums (Motshidisi), DSTV payments, Airtime Purchases, Vehicle License Renewal, and Prepaid Electricity amongst others.”