Global payments technology company Visa has signed a commercial partnership with Atlas Mara Limited enabling cashless solutions for bank account holders across Africa. The deal will see Atlas Mara’s banks utilise Visa’s payment platforms (mVisa and Visa Direct) to provide their customers with new ways of conducting their businesses. The mVisa mobile payments service enables consumers to access their bank account funds to pay for goods, services or send to individuals via their mobile phones, while Visa Direct enables cardholders to transfer funds over any channel, including personal computers, mobile phones, local bank branches and ATMs. Visa Sub-Saharan Africa Group Country Manager Andrew Torre described the new partnership as transformational for commerce, mobile payments and financial inclusion across Africa. Atlas Mara Chief Digital Officer Chidi Okpala welcomed the deal saying it will enhance financial inclusion via an efficient service across multiple platforms which go beyond borders into their seven markets. Atlas Mara, which has been in a bank acquisition spree across Africa has subsidiaries in Botswana, Germany, Mozambique, Zimbawe, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia with its headquarters located in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. “Delivering innovative services to accelerate financial inclusion and more efficiently service our customers is one of our core strategies. ‘‘Through our partnership with Visa, Atlas Mara will be able to offer a suite of digital and mobile payment solutions for the everyday payments needs of our expanding customer base across Africa,” said Mr Ochidi.
Visa has partnered with Andrew Torre to provide cashless payments for bank account holders throughout Africa. The mVisa mobile payments service allows customers to access their bank accounts to make payments for goods or services via their phones, while Visa Direct can be used by cardholders to transfer funds via phones, PCs, banks branches and ATMs. Both companies said the deal would enhance financial inclusion across Africa.