Mobile payments firm Beyonic targets NGOs

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Beyonic has deals with firms like MTN and Safaricom. PHOTO | FILE 

By OKUTTAH MARK

Mobile payments firm Beyonic has signed a partnership with Mobile Accord in a deal that will increase its footprint across Africa with a focus on NGOs.

Beyonic operating in Kenya and Uganda says the deal with developer Mobile Accord will build its relationship with leading mobile carriers to expand to 25 additional countries.

Mobile Accord works with 78 mobile carriers in 44 countries in Africa and Asia, a footprint making the deal juicy for Beyonic.

Mobile Accord and Beyonic will implement the roadmap, starting with 10 markets: Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Beyonic’s platform enables businesses to deploy, track and manage two-way mobile money payments over multiple mobile carriers.

“For those working in emerging markets, cash payments are riddled with security and logistical issues. Over the past few years, mobile money has become popular both for businesses looking to move away from cash, and for individuals who do not have the means to open traditional bank accounts,” said Luke Kyohere, CEO, Beyonic

“Beyonic’s system allows NGOs and businesses to utilise mobile money with very little set-up and we are excited to expand this tool across Africa”.

Mobile money allows those in emerging markets to pay or receive money through even the most basic phones.

Mobile payments enable fast, secure money transfers and reduce losses associated with cash payments.

However, until now, businesses making mobile payments needed to connect individually to every carrier they wanted to send money through, a time-consuming process for organisations operating in many countries.

Beyonic’s cross-carrier solution allows businesses to manage payments in multiple countries through one platform.

Using Beyonic’s online interface, companies can manage payments to employees, aid beneficiaries, and vendors.

The ability to make and track payments across any network opens up mobile money to businesses that did not have the resources to connect to every carrier in a country.

Beyonic has deals with, among others, MTN, Airtel Uganda and M-Pesa, and organisations like Save the Children, Educate! and Innovations for Poverty Action.