BotswanaPost and FNBB top brass
First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) has teamed up with the BotswanaPost, which has been appointed by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) as one of the Super Vendors for purchase of pre-paid electricity, to facilitate additional payment channels that will serve customers beyond operating hours and at the sametime create convenience accessing power.
Under the arrangement, FNBB, the listed banking giants known to be the most innovative bank in the country introduces virtual purchases which are card based to provide pre-paid electricity to all VISA and MasterCard credit and debit card holders irrespective of issuing bank. The service is currently available through beMOBILE network only.
In addition to the card based virtual purchase method, FNBB offers its account holders an option to purchase pre-paid electricity through the bank’s channel where the purchase pre-paid electricity is one of the listed options.
The bank has developed these additional channels with BotswanaPost allowing customers’ a convenient and efficient way of purchasing pre-paid electricity. The bank said customers do not need to queue to make purchases with the channels being operational 365 days and 24 hours unlike conventional methods of payment and provide real time update on the customer’s bank account.
“We are especially pleased to add these channels that seek to eliminate cash as the primary means of payment across Botswana,” said Yolisa Phillips- Lejowa, FNBB’s Director –Public Affairs Sector Segment and eSolutions.
Cornelius Ramatlhakwane
“Any customer can now securely and conveniently purchase pre-paid electricity through the card based method, currently available to beMOBILE users only or the FNB cellphone banking channel”.
The BotswanaPost Head of Business Development, Cornelius Ramatlhakwane said they have embraced new technologies and do not deem them to pose a threat to business of the postoffice, but rather see them as a stepping stone to execute Icon of Excellence Strategy. Ramatlhakwane noted that BotswanaPost has evolved into a service provider of choice by leveraging on technology including strategic partnerships.
“Since November 2012, we rollout the pre-paid electricity service through our post office counters countrywide as well as Point of Sale Devices which have been given to strategic sub vendors countrywide,” Ramatlhakwane revealed.
He added the feedback they have been receiving is that their decision was appreciated by the postoffice customers as it made it easier for them to purchase electricity. “Therefore we believe that today marks even a “Greater Milestone of Real Convenience” brought to our customers by us; BotswanaPost in partnership with equally technically advanced partners, First National Bank”.
Ramatlhakwane said under this channel, consumers can now enjoy the luxury and convenience of buying prepaid electricity from the comfort of wherever they are; be it in the office, travelling out of town or even at home at any time of the day.
The consumers need to be a FNBB Mobile Banking Customer or a beMOBILE sim card user who has either a VISA Card or a Master Card (both debit and credit cards). If you are FNBB Mobile Banking Registered customer all you need to do is to dial *130*321# and follow instructions. The beMOBILE sim card user can dial *174# then choose payments and follow instructions.
Yolisa Phillips- Lejowa
“We assure our customers that we have been using these services internally over the past two weeks and thus far we are confident that they work and are really providing un-matched convenience,” added Ramatlhakwane.
BotswanaPost has in its endevour to become an Icon of Excellence integrated its systems and then started to diversify product and services. Over the years, the organisation has been leveraging on electronic communications, advanced payment systems and improved multi-channel access focusing on mobile telecommunications systems.
The government underpinned organisation has been readying to become an Icon of Excellence by investing on Core IT Infrastructure optimisation, development of POSOPAY online portal and the award of the Super Vendor status to deliver BPC pre-paid electricity. The model to deliver this service included primarily using BotswanaPost’s 124 branches across the country and then rolling point of sale devices to third party vendors and providing creative 24 hour channels.
