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PayPulse Reports Remarkable Growth in Namibia

May 8, 2022

PayPulse, the Standard Bank’s cashless transaction app which was rolled out in 2018 has gained significant traction in the Namibian market, processing just under a million transactions to the value of N$ 442 million ($29.7-million) during the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Developed to allow anyone, no matter who they may bank with, to create a virtual wallet from which to pay for bills and services and send or withdraw money.

Rejoice Itembu Head of Client Solutions at Standard Bank says that the app is unique in that it is the first of its kind to let users link up to three different credit or debit cards from different commercial banks, which, Itembu says, is important for Namibians who are largely multi-banked and has contributed to the popularity of the app.

Standard Bank made enhancements to the PayPulse App throughout 2021 and added a series of new features including Bill Splitting, Money Request, self QR code creation, and a Pay-by-Link option, which it says is ideal for small businesses. With the app’s Pay-by-Link option, businesses can send a link request from PayPulse to their customer, who then pays, and the business receives their money.

The Money Request option is another feature that benefits those who may need money from friends or family urgently. Customers can request money from PayPulse users in a similar manner as making a ‘CallMe Request’ on a cellphone. Upon receipt of the request, the PayPulse user can choose to accept or decline the request and decide how much they wish to send.

Another feature is the ability for customers to create their own QR codes, which can be used by different users to make payments. This QR code simplifies the money-sending process because customers no longer need to manually enter a mobile number. Standard Bank says this payment option is convenient and great for fast-paced small businesses.

PayPulse also enables customers to instantly cash out their money at the till of any WiCode retailer such as Woermann Brock, Pick & Pay, Shoprite, Checkers, and USave while also enabling them to top up on electricity, airtime, and pay for bills such as DStv/GOtv accounts directly from the PayPulse platform.

“Standard Bank remains firmly committed to providing digital banking solutions and realizing the cashless society as more customers embrace digital solutions and the use of technology to conduct everyday activities like banking. With such solutions, we hope to make our services more accessible to more people,” Itembu said.

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

Standard Bank Decries Massive Destruction of Branches in South Africa

July 19, 2021

The Chief Executive Officer of Standard Bank Sim Tshabalala has decried the level of destruction on his bank as a result of the rioting that hit cities across South Africa recently noting that in a matter of days, dozens of Standard Bank’s branches and hundreds of its ATMs were damaged. According to Mr. Tshanalala, even though the country is going through a difficult time, it is important to think of the long term.

Standard Bank closed 81 branches in KwaZulu-Natal and 116 branches in Gauteng, as well as in other parts of the country. Over the past few days, 33 of Standard Bank’s branches and 220 of its ATMs have been damaged in unrest, according to its CEO Sim Tshabalala. “The damage is huge,” he said in response to a question about the impact of riots mainly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Protests related to former president Jacob Zuma’s incarceration escalated into rioting over the weekend. A number of businesses have been looted, property has been damaged and there have been road blockages on the country’s main economic arteries.

A number of businesses have also closed or implemented forces majeures as safety precautions.

In terms of damage to infrastructure, a total of 33 branches have been damaged – 20 in KwaZulu-Natal and 13 in Gauteng. A total of 220 ATMs out of 4 200 have also been targeted, said Tshabalala. He added that Standard Bank staff had also been impacted in terms of struggling to access food, petrol and medicine – a reflection of what is happening in the broader environment.

“We have seen no impact yet on liquidity. And we still think it is too difficult to see what damage is suffered from a credit point of view.

“You can imagine certain regions and certain sectors will have severe difficulties in the short to medium term, as a result of the destruction of property, their inability to trade and their inability to have access to warehouses and so forth. So the damage is just huge,” said Tshabalala.

The impact is also seen on customers and the way they are conducting transactions, and the impact on mental health is also apparent, he added.

“Even with all that, it is important for us as leaders to continue to remind ourselves – this too shall pass. We must focus on doing the right thing,” he said. “Even in the most difficult of times, it is important to think of the long term, understand what is possible and make contribution to a greater and better future.”

“What this country and what many countries in the world [have] been through the last 15 or 17 months have been dehumanising and disorientating. And then to overlay it with what we experienced in South Africa in the last few days has been a real hammer blow.”

Munro, however, added it is critical for the economy to function and for businesses to grow.

“We as business leaders need to be resilient and try to rebuild and focus on long term. We must work with authorities to stabilise the situation as fast as we can, support them…” he said.

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

Standard Bank Partners Mastercard and Google on SME Digital Platform

October 29, 2020

Suzanne Morel, Country Manager, Mastercard, South Africa.

Three global brands have signed a memorandum of understanding to help small and medium enterprises to accelerate their digital footprints to wither the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This collaboration comes as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) accelerate digital transformation efforts in response to the pandemic, thus this collaboration between Standard Bank, Mastercard and Google aims to help them move their businesses online, accept digital payments and attract more customers.

Through the collaboration, SMEs can get free access to Standard Bank’s SimplyBlu, an all-in-one e-commerce solution powered by Mastercard Payment Gateway Services, plus free Google Ads to the value of R500. These capabilities have been packaged as a bundled solution to help support business owners to tackle the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As one of South Africa’s leading financial service providers, Standard Bank is acutely aware that small businesses play an important role in driving economic growth and generating employment opportunities. Our strategic relationships with leading brands such as Mastercard and Google ensure that we are able to support small businesses and offer our clients tangible benefits that add real value,” says Nelisa Zulu from Standard Bank.

Launched in 2019, SimplyBlu enables SMEs to create an online presence through the plug-and-play e-commerce store builder, which is interfaced with an instant online checkout. Taking skill levels and resource constraints into account, the platform has been designed in such a way that users can set it up and start accepting payments in a matter of minutes.

“We recognise the overwhelming pressure that small business owners are currently facing and are committed to supporting them through COVID-19 and beyond as they adapt to a new way of operating and evolved customer needs. Through this collaboration, our mission is to help as many SMEs with tools and support to expand their digital capabilities and take their operations to the next level,” says Suzanne Morel, Country Manager, Mastercard, South Africa.

With Google Ads, SMEs can get access to a digital marketing channel that will further help them in driving increased website visits to grow online sales, bookings or mailing list signups; more phone calls and customer interest queries; as well as more in store visits.

“Small businesses have been hardest hit during this period. Many of them have had to figure out quickly how to pivot their operations to a ‘digital-first’ approach. Yet, there remains a gap between those who can access these online opportunities and those who can’t. That’s the gap we want to bridge with this collaboration,” says Google South Africa Country Director Alistair Mokoena.

This is even as eCommerce has been a boon for small businesses over the last few months, largely due to consumer’s rapid adoption of online shopping and digital services as they opt to shop from the safety of their homes. “eCommerce is a powerful tool for small businesses – be it retail operators or merchants offering services ranging from home maintenance to professional services. Our SimplyBlu platform has seen over 100 percent growth during the COVID-19 period, with business owners increasingly realising the benefits of operating their businesses on online platforms,” says Zulu.

Candy Smith, a fashion designer, opened an online shop using SimplyBlu, where she built a face mask-making business. In early March, she was selling more than 200 masks a day. By the end of May, she reached over 1,500 masks a day for individual sales and secured corporate orders of 10,000 masks at a time.

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