Vodacom Financial and Digital Lifestyle Services to extend financial inclusion through access to payment service

Vodacom Financial and Digital Lifestyle Services has partnered with Bidvest Bank to power the VodaPay Wallet. This partnership enables millions of South African consumers to seamlessly transact within VodaPay, which offers customers a platform by which money can be transferred into their digital wallets. 

The VodaPay Wallet gives consumers full control of their lifestyle directly from their smartphones. It is like carrying a digital wallet around in a digital mall, allowing customers to deposit money for free, send money, shop at their favorite retailers, order food, and even pay bills and traffic fines at no extra charge all from one simple super app. All transactions happen in an instant with VodaPay.

Commenting on the partnership with Bidvest Bank, Mariam Cassim, Chief Executive Officer of Vodacom Financial and Digital Lifestyle Services says, “VodaPay is a huge step forward for us and our bid to provide financial inclusion through the many payment options that the mobile platform provides our customers. The mobile wallet, powered by Bidvest Bank, is key to our digital and financial inclusion strategy.” 

VodaPay’s Deposit Money function offers customers a convenient solution for depositing cash into their VodaPay Wallet through a widespread network of renowned stores across the country. These outlets include Vodacom stores and select national retailers such as Pick n Pay, Pick n Pay Express, Boxer, PEP, Ackermans, Makro, Rhino Cash ‘n Carry, Game, Builders Warehouse, and Cambridge Food.

Customers can even deposit money into their VodaPay Wallet at their nearest Spaza shop through Kazang merchants. Additionally, VodaPay users can send money from their VodaPay Wallets to anyone in the country by simply selecting the Send Money option on the app, choosing the cash-out location, and specifying the amount to send. The receiver can cash out the physical cash at the selected cash-out point. 

Partnering with brands that are easily accessible to our customers is central to Vodacom Financial and Digital Lifestyle Services’ plans for promoting financial and digital inclusion in the country. This means customers living in rural areas will no longer have to travel long distances to access money via a bank or ATM. They can access their money through their VodaPay Wallet on the VodaPay app.

“As a partner, Bidvest Bank has demonstrated its willingness to innovate and adapt quickly as we add additional services and products to our platform,” Cassim says.”

The VodaPay super app offers customers an entirely new ecosystem in which to make payments, do business, and shop, reflective of the fast-growing digital environment. 

Vodacom Financial and Digital Lifestyle Services sees the offering of a super app as a logical extension of their existing offerings, which include lending and insurance products, where the number of transactions is growing daily.

Since its commercial launch in 2021, VodaPay has connected over 3.3 million registered users with over 5.7 million downloads recorded.

VodaPay is available for download on the Apple App Store; Google Play Store or Huawei App Gallery.