M-Payroll services could enable secure cost effective wage payments to be made to million of unbanked workers by 2020, according to the Vodafone Connected Worker Report.
The report, commissioned by Vodafone with research undertaken Accenture, identified six mobile solutions which will give people greater control over their finances and enable simple payment of bills and sending of remittances.
Andrew Dunnett, Vodafone Group’s director of sustainability and director of the Vodafone Foundation, said: “Mobile solutions have the potential to improve workers’ lives and save money in the boardroom, helping organisations improve productivity, transparency and security.
“Whether it is mobile monitoring of the supply chain or using a mobile phone to pay wages, the potential for positively transforming the workplace in these markets, for both employers and workers, is significant.”
The report studied 12 markets: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, India, Qatar, Lesotho, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Turkey.
M-Payroll is being implemented by Safaricom in Kenya through mobile payments service M-Pesa, paying exam supervisors across 60,000 schools. Research by USAID found workers welcomed the time saved in collecting the money and the guarantee of being paid on time, while employers found it reduced the cost of making payments by 86 per cent.
“As an empowerment tool, the mobile phone is revolutionising the workplace, thereby contributing to the emergence of a smarter, more efficient working environment. Since 2011, Safaricom has offered the M-PESA Payroll service which offers a quick, safe, convenient and affordable way for sending their employees’ wages or salaries directly to their mobile phones via M-PESA,” said Joseph Ogutu, director of strategy and innovation at Safaricom.
Other mobile solutions identified in the report include M-Identity solutions that can be used to enhance corporate security and provide authentication for workers when dealing with customers. Job Finder offers a subscription-based service to match workers to jobs. Fieldforce Enablement provides remote access to corporate systems and facilitates better scheduling, enhancing the productivity, safety and effectiveness of workers. M-Learning could deliver basic skills training in literacy and numeracy as well as job-related training via mobile.
