Tanzania citizens in the diaspora to benefit from Vodacom mobile money transfer

TANZANIANS living in diaspora will now be able to send money to their friends or relatives with Vodacom M-PESA account in the country, following the launch of cross-border money transfer service program by Vodacom Tanzania in collaboration with Western Union. The launching ceremony took place last week in Dar es Salaam and was attended by officials of both organizations who have joined forces together in order to make the program successful in Tanzania. Elaborating on how the money transaction would be effected, the Regional Director of Western Union representing East and Southern Africa region Karen Jordaan noted that senders of money must be living or staying in one of the 65 (unnamed) countries out of the total 178 countries in the world. The interested citizens who wish to use this service program can visit one of the more than 108,000 participating registered Western Union agent locations in 65 selected countries worldwide and send money directly into the mobile wallets of any registered Vodacom M-PESA subscriber in the country. Once the money is sent, the prospective receivers will be sent for a short message by Vodacom company instructing them that they could withdraw their money from one of the 15,000 Vodacom registered M-PESA agents who are scattered all over the country. “The newly launched service will be easier and cost effective” says Vodacom Financial Service Manager Innocent Ephraim. Currently, Tanzanians studying or
The Regional Director of Western Union representing East and Southern Africa region Karen Jordaan talks to journalists (not in the picture) during the launching of the Cross Border Money Transfer Service Program which her organization in collaboration with Vodacom Tanzania has joined forces in order to make it successful in Tanzaniastaying outside the country are experiencing delays after sending money to their relatives back home especially those residing in rural areas.

The Regional Director of Western Union representing East and Southern Africa region Karen Jordaan talks to journalists (not in the picture) during the launching of the Cross Border Money Transfer Service Program which her organization in collaboration with Vodacom Tanzania has joined forces in order to make it successful in Tanzania

However, he said “Vodacom always seeks for new innovative solutions to help their customers’ needs through innovative services like this one which he described to be more cost effective and which will be potential for Diaspora”. According to him, the newly launched service has been guaranteed by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) the regulator in the country, which he said did not permit them (Vodacom) to send money outside the country from the economic point of view. Commenting on the newly introduced move, an official from the Postal Bank services who spoke on condition of anonymity said that, the move will help ease unnecessary delays that had overwhelmed rural customers. He said that, “customers residing in rural areas experiences hardship when clearing their money sent to them most primarily due to poor road infrastructure and ineffective communication facilities an aspect that forces many to come to urban centre and spent days to get their money”. According to the Managing Director of Vodacom (Tanzania) Rene Meza, his company first launched M-PESA services in the country in 2008 and up to now, it has more than 9 million customers and handles a million transactions per day. Vodacom M-PESA provides its customers an affordable fast, convenient and safe way to pay for numerous services such as utility bills, airtime recharge for prepaid, tax payment, long distance bus fare payments and much more. Western Union has been present in Africa since 1995 and the organization continues to engage with its consumers in the various markets it serves to encourage closer ties between citizen in the diaspora and their home countries.