Consumer Ecosystems

Airtel discusses digitisation of Zambia’s pension and saving services

Airtel discusses digitisation of Zambia’s pension and saving services

Zambia’s National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and operator Airtel Zambia say they are exploring opportunities for collaboration aimed at improving customer experience and expanding access to pension and savings services through digital platforms.

Airtel has extensive reach through its mobile money customer base and agent network; there could be an opportunity to use these existing channels to bring financial and social protection services closer to more people, making NAPSA services in particular more accessible, convenient and responsive to the needs of members and the wider public. It will also be important to integrate services for seamless customer experience.

A key area of focus was the potential to extend pension coverage to people working in the informal sector, who make up a significant proportion of the population but are not necessarily covered by traditional employment-based pension arrangements.

The two institutions have agreed to set up a working committee to actualise the partnership within a specified timeline. 

Airtel Zambia has also called for a national ambition to provide ten million Zambians with access to smartphones over the next five years, a proposal presented during a high-level engagement between Airtel Zambia Managing Director Hussam Baday and Felix Mutati, Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science.

The call comes as Zambia works towards achieving 80% broadband penetration. Airtel argues that expanding network connectivity must be accompanied by improved access to affordable devices, allowing citizens to use digital services in sectors such as education, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, entrepreneurship and government.

Mutati highlighted the impact of limited access to digital devices on the country’s growth prospects and supported the ambition of enabling ten million Zambians to access smartphones within the next five years.

However, network coverage, service quality, affordability of  both phones and mobile data, education, awareness and cybersecurity will remain important considerations for any smartphone-enabled digital inclusion strategy.



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