Orange introduces historic Visa Debit card

KEIKANTSE LESEMELA
Correspondent | Thursday August 8, 2013 00:00

 

Orange Money is the cellular giant's mobile money platform which provides a form of banking services to unbanked individuals by using the wireless company's network coverage.Botswana is the first country in the world where Orange and global payments leader, Visa, are collaborating to allow mobile money subscribers to make Visa transactions. The new feature allows online payment without the need of having a plastic card. A virtual card can be requested easily from the Orange Money menu, giving access to e-commerce possibilities.

Speaking at the launch Tuesday, Orange Botswana CEO Elisabeth Medou-Badang said the system would bridge the gap between the banked and the unbanked. 'We are proud to be the first country in the world and the world's first realisation of the strategic partnership between Orange and Visa,' she said.'With this launch, we move a step further in our journey to providing financial services to the unbanked and by doing that reducing cash transactions and including more people in the formal economy'.The current Orange Money service allows customers to use their mobile phones to transfer funds to any mobile phone subscriber in the country, pay electricity, buy airtime and pay bills.

Medou-Badang said customers would benefit from the convenience of the existing banking infrastructure of more than 300 Visa ATMs and more than 4,000 points of sale across Botswana. This would complement the existing 3,000 points of sale through Orange shops and Orange Money dealers' points such as Botswana Post, Choppies, Furnmart, Spar and others. 'Our customers will be able to access their funds 24 hours a day anywhere in the country and have the ability to purchase goods, locally and worldwide anytime with the associated online payment,' said Medou-Badang.She explained that with the virtual card, small businesses, the self employed and unbanked populations would have the means to do business regardless of geographical constraints.'We believe that this partnership, with the opportunities that can be drawn from improving access and e-commerce, will empower people and contribute to economic growth as well as poverty eradication,' she said.The Orange Money-Visa programme is in collaboration with BancABC, which will provide key support in the management of the transactions.