Over R33 billion has been sent using First National Bank's eWallet mobile money service since the platform was introduced in 2009.
According to the bank, five million South Africans have used eWallet, with 3.5 million considered active users. A total of R1.2 billion is sent every month to eWallets in SA.
Lytania Johnson, CEO of eWallet solutions at FNB, says: "The ability to send money to any South African number has undoubtedly contributed to the success of eWallet, with the convenience of the facility and the ease of use being at the essence of its ever-growing popularity in South Africa as well as other African regions."
Of the R33 billion, R27.8 billion was sent through the traditional consumer eWallet service, says FNB.
The newer business solution, eWallet Pro, makes up the additional R5.2 billion sends. This service allows businesses to pay workers without bank accounts and is showing good growth, notes FNB. It has the same functionality as the eWallet consumer service, but has the addition of a prepaid Visa card.
"Our representation points ? including our ATMs, and additional cash-out points such as our slim-line ATMs that are placed in spaza shops throughout the country ? have eliminated accessibility problems because we have taken this service to the communities," says Johnson.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, FNB eWallet continues to do well, with Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland and Lesotho sending a combined R6.6 billion, she adds.
"Interestingly, in Namibia, eWallet has seen an impressive uptake in the number of users, with over one million eWallet users since inception, which means 50% of the adult population of Namibia now use eWallet."
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