Tag Archive for: Small Business

Andrew Stegmann

Safaricom Launches Lipa Na M-Pesa Business App for Kenyan Market

Safaricom has announced a Lipa Na M-PESA Business smartphone app for the more than 170,000 merchants on the service.

Named “M-PESA for Business“, it will empower business owners to access real-time statements, export statements, and track their business performance on the go.

Through the app, business owners can further withdraw funds from Lipa Na M-PESA to their M-PESA accounts, bank accounts or at an agent. Business owners with a business till can now also send money to other M-PESA customers such as to pay wages, pay for supplies, and make payments to other businesses all through the app.

“At Safaricom, we are taking a focus on the needs of small and medium businesses to provide them with suitable technology solutions to help them grow. The M-PESA for Business smartphone App is one such solution. It empowers more than 170,000 businesses across Kenya to send money and make payments and provides them with simple and detailed reports from the convenience of the mobile phone,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom.

In addition to making transactions from their Lipa Na M-PESA tills, the app will offer additional management features such as an overview of different tills for business owners with multiple outlets and till usage management. The app is also packed with rich, detailed reports including money-in and money-out charts, store overview and frequently used Lipa Na M-PESA Tills and PayBills.

The “M-PESA for Business” App is immediately available from the Android Google Play store and the iOS App store and complements the *234# menu which has been providing Lipa Na M-PESA merchants with the ability to manage their till and to make transactions. It is designed to take advantage of unique smartphone capabilities to provide businesses with powerful, additional features and a digital, modern way to use the service.

Safaricom has also rolled out a portal where any business across the Kenya can now apply online for a Lipa Na M-PESA Till. The “M-PESA for Business” app will be immediately available to these businesses once their application is processed and a Till Number allocated.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Ecobank Group and Google Collaborate to Deliver Digital Solutions for SMEs

Ecobank Group, the pan-African Bank, in collaboration with Google is helping to equip African SMEs with the necessary digital skills to navigate the rapidly evolving business world. The aim is to assist African businesses remain relevant and fulfil their potential by embracing digital capabilities.

As a longstanding pioneer in providing cutting-edge digital solutions for African businesses we are delighted to collaborate with Google to offer timely and relevant solutions, including Google My Business and Google Ad products. These are specifically tailored to meet the needs of our SME customers.

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Ecobank’s Group Executive for Commercial Banking

“Our objective is to be the partner of choice for SMEs, by meaningfully supporting their success and growth. It is therefore a natural step for us to work with Google to help improve the capabilities of our SMEs customers. We are focused on helping them thrive by adopting technology, which is becoming increasingly essential for survival of businesses today.” Added Josephine Anan-Ankomah.

Ecobank’s invaluable eBanking product suite is increasingly relevant in this era of lockdowns and physical distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this robust platform, Ecobank provides 24/7 access to customers, conveniently meeting the evolving cash management, payment and collection needs of businesses. It is essential that African SMEs take full advantage of the commercial opportunities having a digital presence provides. It will ensure comprehensive engagement between SMEs and their customers as well as potential new customers. Ecobank’s digital banking suite, coupled with its collaboration with Google, will empower SMEs to win.

The digital packages are expected to be available to Ecobank’s SMEs customers across sub-Saharan Africa in May 2020.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].