Tigo, Airtel and Zantel to enable mobile money payments between their customers in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, June 4, 2014 – Tigo (http://www.tigo.co.tz), Airtel and Zantel announced today a pioneering agreement to allow customers of Tigo, Airtel and Zantel in Tanzania to send money to each other whether using Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money or EzyPesa on their mobile handsets. It is expected that the service will start by end of June.
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.
In the early years of the mobile industry, such agreements were common for both voice calls and SMS text messaging. With this agreement, customers of the three telecommunications company would be able to send money by mobile to each other directly, according to a statement issued by the companies.
The joint press statement also listed other benefits customers of the three companies would enjoy as including 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.
Diego Gutierrez, Tigo’s General Manager for Tanzania, 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 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.
The three companies also paid tribute to the Bank of Tanzania (B.O.T) for facilitating interoperability, the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation and IFC for playing the leading role on this initiative.
About Tigo:
Tigo (http://www.tigo.co.tz) started operations in 1994 as the first cellular network in Tanzania. It now covers 30 regions in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Tigo strives to be Tanzania’s most innovative mobile phone operator, offering services ranging from affordable mobile voice communications to high speed Internet access and mobile financial services through Tigo Pesa.
Tigo is part of Millicom which provides affordable, widely accessible and readily available cellular telephone services to more than 50 million customers in 13 emerging markets in Africa and Latin America.
The success of Tigo is based on the “Triple A” strategy, which stands for Affordability, Accessibility and Availability. We create a world where mobile services are affordable, accessible and available everywhere and to all. This guarantees that our subscribers experience the best services at the most affordable rates throughout all 30 regions in both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
“SMILE, YOU’RE WITH TIGO”
About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 4 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company’s product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL broadband, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 294 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2014. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com
About Zantel
Zantel currently serves a growing subscriber base and consistently demonstrates its core values of affordable, consistent and seamless services. Zantel believes that apart from offering a solid platform of technological innovation, sustainable investment is the bedrock of stellar growth and economic stability. Zantel offers International Gateway services, Fixed, Mobile , data services through its CDMA, GSM , 3G networks and mobile Finance services popularly known as ‘Ezypesa”.
Zantel is part of Etisalat Group which has been recognized as “Best Operator” 10 times since 2006 and “Best Wholesale Provider” 4 times in the last three years, and currently services145 million customers in 15 countries spread across Africa and Asia…
