Zeepay, others to serve 20 African countries through money remittance
Zeepay, a leading African financial technology (fintech) company, is seeking to reach more than 150 million mobile money wallets in 20 African countries as it partners global remittance giants to transfer money directly to these mobile money wallets.
Speaking at the launch of Ria2Mobile in partnership with Ria Money Transfer and GT Bank in Accra, the Managing Director of Zeepay, Mr Andrew Takyi-Appiah, said the company hoped to become a household name when it came to remittance directly to mobile money wallets, not just in Ghana, but across the continent.
A statement by Zeepay said the innovative Ria2Mobile service, which enables Ria customers worldwide to send money directly into beneficiaries’ mobile money wallets across operators in Ghana, was part of a bold initiative launched by GT Bank and Ria in 2017 that enabled customers to receive remittances straight into their GT Bank accounts.
“We are grateful to GT Bank and RIA for such a wonderful opportunity to do more through this initiative.
Such opportunities are what have made it possible for Zeepay to reach over 150 million mobile money subscribers across 20 countries in Africa and become a household name in remittance termination on the continent,” he said.
Already, the company has since its inception,touched the lives of over 750,000 Ghanaians and looking to markets such as Uganda, Cameroon, Guinea, Mozambique, Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria and others.
“At Zeepay, our objective is to improve financial access for the unbanked and banked in an effort to contribute to financial inclusion.
In this regard, as a fintech in the mobile financial services sector, we make it possible for remittance companies to expand their distribution through digital technology to reach critical mass in seven seconds, and in the process encourage receivers to get mobile money wallets for easy access to their remittances,” he added.
As partners, Mr Takyi-Appiah assured RIA, GT Bank and every Ghanaian that Zeepay would continue to offer its 24-hour support to make this major mile stone a great success.
“We are looking forward to ensuring that over two million Ghanaians would leverage this additional omni channel GT Bank and RIA have opened within the ecosystem in the coming months,” he said.
The novel thing about the partnership, he noted, was that the average Ghanaian could receive their remittance into their wallet and could now walk less than a mile to redeem their funds as and when needed, a narrative that was very removed from reality a few years ago in Ghana.
“Considering that remittance receivers were only exposed to a single cash collection channel that was opened eight hours a day miles away for the rural community, this is a real game changer,” he added.
GT Bank’s General Manager and Divisional Head for General Internal Services, Iris Richter-Addo, said: “Ria2Mobile is a game-changing solution that offers beneficiaries the convenience and security of receiving remitted funds directly into their mobile money wallets anywhere in Ghana.
The service is a major boost to Ghana’s financial inclusion agenda and supports the collective drive to promote a cash-lite economy.
GT Bank is delighted to partner Ria and Zeepay to champion this service in line with our bold digital banking agenda to make world class banking services available to every Ghanaian.”
The Director of Operations for Africa at Ria, Robert Kotei, in his comments said: “Ria customers across the world can now send money directly into about 13 million mobile money wallets in Ghana.
This partnership offers Ria the opportunity to bring another quick and convenient way for our customers to receive funds, in line with our commitment to provide a superior omni channel experience to our cherished beneficiaries in Ghana.”
In 2018, an estimated US$3 billion was remitted into Ghana, contributing more to the GDP of the country than most exported resources, including gold and cocoa.