MasterCard Opens East African Regional Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya

Global payments and technology company announces official presence across the region

Charlton Goredema

Nairobi, Kenya, 2^nd February 2012 – MasterCard Worldwide, a global payments and technology company, today launched its official East African regional headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. This development brings the number of MasterCard offices across the African continent to five, with other offices operational in Cairo, Casablanca, Lagos, Johannesburg and now Nairobi.

The Right Honorable Raila Odinga, Prime Minister, Republic of Kenya welcomed MasterCard’s announcement. “We are pleased to welcome MasterCard to East Africa and in particular to Kenya, as we see the region’s growth path continue. MasterCard’s products will see the benefits of inclusion into the financial system extend to many more East Africans, giving them the opportunity to transact electronically with people and companies and so keep their precious money safe and secure, helping to build prosperity for their future.”

“Nairobi’s reputation as an African commerce, trade and development hub made it a strategically sound location for MasterCard to establish its regional headquarters. We believe it is a natural recognition of Kenya’s role as the financial heart of the East Africa region,” says Daniel Monehin, Area Head, East & West Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, MasterCard Worldwide.

The Nairobi office will act as MasterCard’s liaison office for customer banks, business associates and consumers in its main markets of Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Ethiopia and Uganda, as well as across the rest of the East African region, bringing the organisation’s knowledge of electronic payments best practice to these markets.

This will include a significant emphasis in the areas of card knowledge and skills development, advising on development of card acceptance infrastructure, new products, and developing partnerships with 'technology enablers,' as well as retailer education and best acceptance practice.

“We are establishing the new Nairobi office as a gateway through which MasterCard will liaise with its existing customers across the East African region. It will also be a launch pad for further expansion across the region, by providing advice to support MasterCard’s ongoing quest to shift consumers from traditional cash payments to non-cash payment systems, so that they can avoid the costs, risks and inefficiencies associated with cash,” comments Monehin.

Bringing the benefits of electronic payments to people across the African continent is a primary focus for MasterCard. “East Africa, and indeed Africa as a whole, has always been heavily reliant on cash – both in the consumer and corporate sectors,” says Charlton Goredema, Vice President and Market Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands for MasterCard Worldwide. “This dependence is costly – the costs of printing notes and keeping them secure are significant – and cash payments restrict an individual or company’s economic activity to their immediate geographic area.”

MasterCard has already been active in the Kenyan market working with banks and other business organisations to advise on developing payment solutions that are best suited for Kenyans. Most recently, in collaboration with Airtel & Standard Chartered Bank, the world's first virtual card that operates off a mobile wallet was launched in Kenya.

“PayOnline is a unique virtual card payment solution, developed specifically to address the needs of consumers in Kenya. At the Mobile World Congress 2011 this product was awarded top honours as the Best Mobile Money Product or Solution. PayOnline makes it possible for Kenyan Airtel clients to shop online, even if they do not have a bank account,” says Goredema. “This is just one way that MasterCard products are working to extend financial inclusion to all through the development of solutions that take into account the unique attributes of each local market.”

“MasterCard products make it simple and safe to process electronic payments anywhere in the world,” Goredema points out. “Consumers using electronic payment systems don’t have to worry whether the cash they are carrying is sufficient for their intended purchase, and they do not have to fear for their security, as is common when carrying a large amount of cash on their person.”

In addition, the electronic payments solutions brought to market by MasterCard facilitate transparency in banking, through innovation and security that provide clear transaction records at every step, allowing protection from fraudulent activities. Goredema believes that these solutions are key to the continued success of East Africa’s rapid economic growth.

“MasterCard’s products include debit, prepaid, mobile and credit card payment solutions, which can be used to avoid the pitfalls of cash,” says Goredema. “We have already used these products in a variety of revolutionary applications on the African continent, including prepaid solutions for transport, and the secure disbursement of citizens’ social security payments.”

MasterCard’s global payments expertise will be very relevant across East Africa and particularly in Kenya, as the country evolves to implement the National Payments Systems Bill, passed by the country’s government during 2011.

“We believe that the Bill is a recognition that efficient payment mechanisms are essential to the development of the Kenyan economy, and we look forward to working with policymakers to bring electronic payment solutions to this market,” says Goredema. “We have worked on similar projects across the globe, where we have responded to local needs with products that offer the best of MasterCard’s global experience.”

MasterCard will also be offering the services of MasterCard Advisors into the East African region, helping to ensure that best-practice principles are implemented across the payments network. MasterCard Advisors is the professional services arm of MasterCard that provides payments consulting, information, analytics, and customised services to financial institutions, governments and retailers worldwide.

“We have invested significant resources into understanding East Africa, its business dynamics, how its consumers operate and the unique conditions that make this region one of the most exciting places to do business,” says Goredema. “We realise that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy and each market has its own unique challenges, opportunities and needs. MasterCard has invested extensively in research both on the African continent, and globally, and we are equipped to offer advice on payment industry best practice at every level.

“For MasterCard, the opportunities Africa brings forth will push the payments frontier faster and further than ever before and we continue our vision to realise a world beyond cash, bringing greater efficiencies to the payments system,” concludes Goredema. “We look forward to now working even more closely with our customer financial institutions, businesses and consumers across East Africa to leverage new technologies and innovative payment methods to enable safe, simple and convenient ways for consumers to pay.”

Airtel Money launched in Uganda !

Airtel Money launched in Uganda, providing access to over 3,800 locations to the unbanked

·         Airtel Money will enable Ugandans withdraw funds directly from ATMs for the first time

·         New facility enables consumers top up air time on their phones directly

·         Service will extend innovative mobile financial solutions to both the banked and unbanked across the country

Airtel Uganda has today launched its mobile money platform aptly named Airtel Money. The service provides consumers with convenient access to affordable and innovative financial services through their mobile phones. The platform allows consumers to top up their phones with air time, send and receive money, pay their critical utility bills, access their bank accounts and withdraw Airtel money across all interswitch ATMs countrywide.

Airtel has partnered with leading international and regional banks to provide customers with access to deposit and withdraw cash, money transfers, banking services and pay bills. These include Standard Chartered Bank, Post Bank, Pride Micro Finance, Centenary Rural Development Bank, Equity Bank, Diamond Trust Bank, United Bank of Africa, Kenya Commercial Bank, Baroda, Eco Bank and Finance Trust Bank.

Mr. V.G. Somasekhar, Airtel Managing Director who addressed guests at the launch said that: “Mobile commerce has the ability to assist a large segment of the population due to its distribution network. Airtel Money’s new platform will provide consumers with a useful offering of products that cuts across Mobile banking including ATM transactions, utility bill payments, Airtime top ups and Money Transfer services” he said.

Somasekhar also noted that the rural populations have inadvertently been left out of the financial system due to cost and distance from urban centres. The Airtel Money Agent network throughout Uganda enables customers to transact money anywhere. There are more than three thousand eight hundred Airtel Money agents, ensuring the widest availability of Airtel Money throughout Uganda.”

Hon. Nyombi Thembo , Minister of State for ICT in his speech stated that, ICTs are increasingly in demand to meet the Millennium Development Goals. In the rural context, ICTs provide enhanced opportunities to generate income and combat poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy. ‘We congratulate Airtel and believe that through its Airtel money initiatives, consumers and communities even in the deepest rural areas of Uganda will take maximum advantage and reap the benefits of mobile commerce and other innovative services from Airtel”, he said.

Right Hon. Amama Mbabazi Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda on his part commended Airtel Uganda for partnering with the Government in positively impacting the ICT industry and the country at large. “During their entry into the Ugandan Market, Airtel announced an investment of up to $ 100M into the market and part of this would be allocated towards the provision of innovative Mobile services in Uganda. I am very pleased to see how mobile services are complementing the banking sector”.

“We believe that the Airtel Money services will be a catalyst to support economic activities such as agriculture, mining, fishing and ultimately contribute to the economic growth of our country, especially within the rural sector. ” he concluded.

According to Airtel Uganda’s M-commerce National Sales Manager, Mr. Nuhu Kanyike, Airtel Money will be available to all Airtel customers, both Prepaid and Postpaid and registration is free at all Airtel Centers and Airtel Money outlets countrywide.

Nokia consumers to enjoy extended warranty across East Africa

Nairobi, Kenya, February 1, 2012: Nokia, the global mobile phone manufacturer, has announced the launch of a new 12-month warranty program which allows consumers who purchase phones in East Africa, access to after-sales support across the region.

 The new warranty programme, covering Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania, avails a combination of online, 24-hour care exchange and repair services to customers across East African borders.  “Customers can now benefit from expanded care support at any of our care centres in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and can expect support from Nokia specially-trained technicians. What’s more, only genuine parts are used in the repair of devices”, said Brenda Okwiri, Head of Care Channels, Nokia East Africa.

 She added: “A passion for innovation and customer care underpins Nokia’s offering to the market. To cater for rural markets, Nokia has signed up over 50 collection points across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, where one can drop off devices for repair. If within the warranty period, Nokia also offers to cover courier costs. We believe this new East Africa wide warranty will benefit our valued consumers across the region.”

In July 2011, Nokia launched the first Business to Business (B2B) and VIP care centre in Nairobi, which enables business partners to drop off their devices for service within a shorter period of time to facilitate business continuity in their operations.  

 Nokia care centres across East Africa also serve as collection points for old phones and accessories that consumers may want to dispose of responsibly. 

 Nokia currently operates the world’s largest voluntary mobile device recycling scheme with drop-off points in over 5,000 Nokia care points around the world. In November 2011, Nokia launched a sustainability awareness campaign in Kenya in which the importance of reducing e-waste was emphasised. In Kenya, Nokia care centres are also equipped with services to help customers determine whether their phone is a genuine Nokia device. The SMS Warranty check service will soon also be available in Uganda and Tanzania.