Africa’s largest telecoms company Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) has joined forces with Ozow so that subscribers can purchase data and airtime directly through WhatsApp – an industry-first in South Africa.

Speaking on the development, Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive of Corporate Affairs at MTN South Africa said that “Giving customers the ability to transact seamlessly on WhatsApp is a gamechanger in South Africa. It provides a seamless way to stay connected, in touch and in tune, while being simple and secure. Most importantly it will help improve financial and digital inclusion and enhance access for consumers.”

The service is provided within the MTN Chat platform, which was launched in 2019, to enable customers to initiate the purchase of airtime and data bundles within their WhatsApp chat.

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Making actual payments via WhatsApp, however, is relatively new globally, having initially been tested in India in 2018 and officially launched in Brazil in June 2020.

“Our aim is to ensure South Africans do not miss out on major advances in technology and have the latest cutting-edge solutions at their fingertips so they can enjoy the full benefits of digital life,” says O’Sullivan.

“We are excited about partnering with MTN to make it even easier for customers to be able to safely purchase airtime and data directly from the WhatsApp chat on the spot, anywhere and at any time,” says Thomas Pays, Co-Founder and CEO of Ozow.

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Convenience is expected to be a major benefit and to get started, subscribers just need the WhatsApp app on their smartphone.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry