Mobile phone service provider Airtel Tanzania has unveiled Airtel Money promotion enabling free cash transactions within Tanzania.
At the same time, a short code to facilitate easy access to the Airtel Money by dialling *150*60 # was established, says Airtel Tanzania public relations manager Jackson Mmbando.
Mmbando explained that the company’s move to introduce the short code aims to provide subscribers using different types of handset device a user-friendly Airtel Money menu.
“Our company will continue with the process of providing easy access of financial services for 24 hours,” Mmbando said.
Airtel Money allows registered customers to send and receive mobile money.
A national identity card or a passport is required to use the service. Also, the service further makes settling of bills such as electricity water, some supermarket and cash deposit or banks withdrawal possible.
The business of electronic money transfer has been on the rise prompting Bank of Tanzania and Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority(TCRA) to partner to facilitate mobile money operations by ensuring all stakeholders adhere to the set law.
Tanzania’s government continues to be strict in facilitating a conducive business environment. Recently, it prevented OnMobile firm from carrying out its services in the country on the basis of lacking a trading license.
OnMobile, whose services comprise mobile music, m-commerce ,voice and video portals multi-screen video gateway and delivery solutions, phone backup and personal cloud management solution, had already struck partnership deals with Vodacom and Airtel, Tanzania’s major cellular network operators, even before receiving the trading license.
Airtel has been innovative since 2010 after signing agreements with the telecommunications infrastructure providers Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson and Huawei.
It targets expansion of its network to areas experiencing connection difficulties so that by 2013 the number of subscribers would have increased by 150 percent across Africa.
Safaricom was the first company to unveil mobile phone money transfer service brand named M‐Pesa.
Customers deposit money into their mobile phone’s account and use SMS technology to send the money. According to Safaricom’s 2012 financial year report, nearly 17 million M‐Pesa accounts had been registered in Kenya.
In Tanzania, Vodacom introduced the service in 2008 with close to 9 million registered customers, according to a 2012 report.
Airtel Tanzania was launched in the East African nation Tanzania in October 2001 and in Africa, serves in Burkina Faso, Chad, Zambia, DRC, Seychelles, Gabon, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Congo B, Kenya, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Niger and Nigeria.
