Orange money subscribers locally now have access to Visa payments when using their Orange Money accounts. The enhanced service allows orange money subscribers to access their funds 24 hours by withdrawing money at ATMs or online purchases wherever Visa is accepted.
Orange Botswana Chief Executive Officer, Elisabeth Meduo-Badang, says the enhanced Orange money Visa programme offers the convenience of making payments on the internet at more than 4,000 local retailers and withdrawing money from over 300 Visa ATMs across Botswana.
“This partnership demonstrates the existence of strong synergies between financial institutions and telecommunications operators as a way to improve financial inclusion,” said Meduo-Badang.
She pointed out that the online payment feature that the company brings constitutes a phenomenal opportunity for the development of e-commerce for all. She said as well as including the unbanked, the new feature will strive on a daily basis to provide convenience to the customers while making their lives easier with enhanced customer experience.
“This new service will also help us to strengthen the education of our customers on orange money services as an easy, simple and convenient tool to perform their transactions either for their businesses or for themselves,” she said.
The Orange Botswana CEO emphasized that Orange is committed to continuously innovate, leveraging on Orange money’s flexibility and growing adoption as well as relevant partnership to increase the Orange money ecosystem and better serve their customer.
“We believe that this partnership, with the opportunities that can be drawn from improving access , e-commerce potential, will empower people and contribute to the economic growth as well as poverty eradication,” said Meduo-Badang.
She explained that with the virtual card, small businesses and the unbanked population will have means to do business regardless of the geographical constraints for the international selling of their products as well as acquiring raw materials for their business.
Visa Head of Emerging Products and Innovation for Africa, Dougie Henderson, pointed out that the new service is a significant milestone in Visa’s strategy to drive financial inclusion, bringing visa capabilities to mobile money services in Africa.
“The orange money prepaid Visa card will be available to all sectors of the population, ranging from the unbanked and under banked, blue collar workers, rural dwellers as well as the young and self-employed,” said Henderson.
He emphasized that Visa mobile payment are a boost for the unbanked, offering a more advanced and convenient way to move money, make payments and pay bills.
“This innovative Visa programme is collaboration with BancABC,
which will provide a key management of the transactions,” said
Henderson.
He added that Botswana is the first country in the world where Visa and Orange are collaborating to allow Orange Money subscribers to make Visa transactions, following the announcement of a group wide strategy agreement between Orange and Visa in 2012.
