Ecocash launches South Africa cross border remittance

Zimbabwe's largest telecommunications firm, Econet Wireless will launch direct EcoCash Remittance from South Africa in the beginning of October after it received all the necessary approvals from the South African authorities.
 
Econet, in a statement said it has been working with its South African partners since the beginning of August on a two hundred customer "soft launch" of the new direct to EcoCash remittance service; training registration agents, enabling and verifying the interlinked systems and ensuring regulatory compliance of the end to end process.
 
Econet has partnered EcoCash service with a South African company called Flash Mobile Vending, a subsidiary of retail giant Pepkor, whose mobile vending solution is used by more than 60,000 informal sector small business shop owners throughout South Africa.

"Econet has partnered its massively popular EcoCash service with a South African company called Flash Mobile Vending, a subsidiary of retail giant Pepkor, whose mobile vending solution is used by more than 60,000 informal sector small business shop owners throughout South Africa," Econet said.

"In much the same way that EcoCash has enabled agents in the most far flung corners of Zimbabwe, Flash shop owners are spread throughout the territory of South Africa; operating from locations convenient to the vast majority of the Zimbabwean Diaspora who are the source of vital remittances supporting loved ones here in Zimbabwe."

Plans are underway to mobilize all PEP and PEPcell stores across South Africa to perform registrations and accept remittance "cash-in."

200 customers will be signed up for the soft launch, and EcoCash has highlighted that it has been working with strategic partners for the training of agents and finalisation of other important details.

The service will only be available to Zimbabweans who have an Econet Wireless South Africa Call Home SIM card, which is powered by Cell C and R50 has been set as the lowest amount that can be sent through the service. According to Douglas Mboweni, the Econet CEO, the Call Home SIM card is now being used by close to 1 million subscribers.

"We are entering a very exciting countdown to the commercial launch of EcoCash Remittance South Africa. In less than three weeks, Zimbabweans right across South Africa will finally be able to send money home to loved ones securely, cheaply, and in a matter of seconds," said Econet Wireless Zimbabwe chief executive, Douglas Mboweni.

"This has taken a long time to put in place but we are almost there. It will be the biggest thing that has happened to EcoCash since it was first launched."