South Africa-based fintech banking app, Bettr, has partnered with Access Bank, “the continent’s fastest-growing bank”, in preparation for future expansion. The app has also been awarded full regulatory approval and is on the road to public beta in March 2022.
Differentiating itself from traditional banks which are “built for linear career paths”, Bettr is built around enabling creators to monetise their passions and bank their worth and aims to help them build credit-worthiness and create wealth by providing access to easy savings and investments.
To do so, the app has partnered with creator and influencer marketplaces to launch to over 250 000 creators with a 20-million strong Gen Z follower base in South Africa.
“Access Bank’s partnership with Bettr gives us a global advantage to reach Africa’s upwardly mobile youth in 12 countries and 3 continents, targeting key regions including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda,” explains Natasha Archary, Senior Manager of Product and Business at Alliance Banking, Access Bank.
Bettr says that their app will offer a transactional and a savings account with competitive interest rates and that their digital-first card, powered by Visa, will be enabled for scan-to-pay and contactless mobile payments. There are no monthly fees and all transactions within the Bettr ecosystem are free.
While the bank’s essential services will only launch in March 2022, they say that their product roadmap will be co-created with their creator community, empowering their users to innovate and build the services they want and need on the Bettr marketplace.
To do this, you’ll need to be a member of the Bettr community and keep an eye out for the weekly preview of the Bettr app which will be distributed via WhatsApp and email beginning in early 2022.
Bettr CEO, Tobie van Zyl, commented: “The pandemic has propelled the Creator Economy into the mainstream, powered by everyday people monetizing their passions to earn a living. This will have massive implications for the job market of the future and for South Africa’s 34% youth unemployment rate. We will power the growing economy of young creators with the platform, tools, and resources they need to thrive. All they have to do is keep creating, no matter.”
