TANZANIA COMMERCIAL BANK DEBUTS POPOTE VISA CARD

VISA Card East Africa Vice President, Corine Nana (right), and Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB Bank) Chief Executive Officer, Sabasaba Moshingi press a button to mark the official launch of the Popote Visa Card to enable the Bank's customers access to services and wherever they are in and out of the country. The launch event took place in Dar es Salaam.

VISA Card East Africa Vice President, Corine Nana (center) with TCB Bank Chief Executive Officer, Sasabasa Moshingi (second left) showing the POPOTE VISA CARD model during the official launch of the card. From left is TCB Bank - Telecommunications and Operations Director, Jema Msuya, CEO of UBX Tanzania LTD, Seronga Wangwe and TCB Bank - Internet Banking Senior Manager, Allen Manzi.

TCB Bank Chief Executive Officer, Sabasaba Moshingi, speaking during the official launch of the Popote Visa Card in Dar es Salaam.

• VOWS TO SUPPORT DIGITAL TANZANIA AGENDA

The government’s aspiration for a cashless economy got yet another vital digital finance shot in the arm following the official debut of an internationally accepted electronic payments card in the market by Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB Bank).

The bank has partnered with Visa International to introduce the new service that elevates its commercial clout in international trade finance circles and enables its customers to transact anywhere any time in the world.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the Popote Visa Card, the Chief Executive Officer of TCB Bank, Sabasaba Moshingi, said the debit card has all it takes to make universal financial services to be within reach in Tanzania.

The Popote debt card partners vowed to support efforts for a less cash national economy by championing and promoting responsible and innovative digital payment solutions that are more convenient, safe and offer better money management options.

“Any efforts like the international debit card that we have launched today and our partnership with Visa are mportant to the government’s digital economy and cashless society ambitions,” Moshingi noted.

He said the bank opted for the Visa partnership because the American multinational was the giant of digital payments in the world with an unmatched network of 61 million merchants.

Speaking at yesterday’s event in Dar es Salam, Visa East Africa officials said the company is committed to expand digital payments not only in Tanzania but across the world by working closely with partners like TCB to also bring the benefits of digital finance to consumers and government partners.

The Visa Vice President and Managing Director for East Africa, Ms Corine Mbiaketcha Nana, said Tanzania has all the ingredients for a cashless society.

The official was upbeat of the benefits the partnership with TCB will deliver and the added values that will be accrued from it, including cost savings through greater payments efficiency and speed.

“Like all innovative digital payment solutions, adoption and use of the Popote Visa Card offers significant benefits to individuals, business entities and the government,” Ms Nana pointed out emphatically noting that the impactful advancement of financial inclusion will make the most difference in the lives of many people.

The launch of TCB Popote Visa Card comes a week after the government revealed its plans and the investments to create a digitally empowered national economy.

The ICT minister Nape Mnauye said that already a US$150 million World Bank soft loan has been secured to advance the Digital Tanzania Project, whose ultimate goal is to stir the national digital transformation efforts.

He said already a blueprint is being drawn to chart out the roadmap for executing the grand digital economy venture.

Speaking yesterday at Hyatt Kilimanjaro Hotel in Dar es Salaam, TCB customers and other sectoral stakeholders said the Popote debit card rollout augurs well with ongoing local initiatives to accelerate digital payments.

The debut of TCB Popote Visa Card, they emphasised, was also a boon for supporting the government and national efforts to make Tanzania a digitally supported cashless society.

“The strategic partnership between TCB and Visa international does not only expand benefit the two organisations but will also greatly help to expand the local digital payments space and enhance commercial fortunes across the national payments value chain,” the General Manager of dt card Tanzania told this reporter.