Yesterday, Telkom Kenya announced T-kash, a mobile money product that has been in development for the past two years. The platform has a lot under its sleeve, including unique T-kash codes that will make the financial service the first of its kind to ditch till and agent numbers as a move to boost speed and security. More information can be found on this post.
At the launch event, Telkom used the opportunity to register subscribers for the M-PESA, Finserve’s Equitel and Airtel Money competitor. T-kash is available via USSD and STK at launch, an app is on it’s way.
It appears that Interswitch, an integrated electronic payments, and commerce company has been tasked to offer these services for T-kash. The partnership with Telkom Kenya will see the deployment of app solutions, payment gateways and T-kash codes in a process that aims to bolster the service offerings of the financial solution and a revamped Telkom Kenya strategy.
Competitors have set the bar too high for any new financial service to be lax. Existing products are packed to the brim with features in a space that compels participants to outdo each other with the number of supported services. Equitel, for instance, updated its Eazzy App with notable features, including PesaLink and sending cash via social networking apps. On the other hand, Safaricom’s M-PESA service is available on a robust mySafaricom app that features multiple additions such as 1 Tap that leverages a device’s NFC chip for payments (phones without NFC can still use 1 Tap).
These are additions that Telkom’s T-kash must factor in in coming days if it needs the financial solution to appeal to a demographic that has invested in other platforms. T-kash codes is one way to do it, and we’ll keep an open mind to see what the partnership brings to the table as the product gains traction.
“The world is moving more towards mobile and Digital solutions and Kenya is no exception. It is estimated that by 2025, more people worldwide will have their first banking experience on the phone and in Kenya, we are working closely with our partners in the Technology and Financial Services sectors to enable development and roll-out of solutions to meet this growing demand,” remarked Paul Mwaura Ndichu, CEO Interswitch East Africa (K).
“Customers are now embracing technology more and more in all aspects of their lives and the mobile phone plays a key role in this revolution. We as Interswitch, are proud to partner with the different stakeholders in this market as they navigate the Fintech age,” added Mr. Ndichu.
