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Zain takes mobile money service to more African nationsZain has extended Zap - its mobile phone-based commerce service to Niger, Sierra Leone and Malawi following its roll-out in East Africa in February 2009. ![]() Zap enables Zain's customers to withdraw or pay cash for goods, services, school fees, and utility bills (power and water). It also enables users to load airtime for themselves and other parties The service which is also similar to Mobile Money which pioneered in Uganda by MTN already has 10 million customers in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya according to a statement from the company. Dr. Saad Al Barrak, Zain group chief executive officer said the expansion of Zap to new markets is an extremely important step in pushing the boundaries of mobile communications. “We already saw the impact Zap has made on the economies of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We are confident that we will see a similar impact in Malawi, Niger and Sierra Leone, where formal banking services are largely restricted to urban hubs,” Dr. Al Barrak added. Zain plans on rolling out the mobile commerce services in all its 22 nations of mobile operations in Africa and the Middle East, in the future, subject to regulatory approvals. About Walter WafulaWalter Wafula is a seasoned journalist who has reported for the Daily Monitor newspaper in Kampala-Uganda. He is also a contributor on Bizcommunity.com website. Email Walter at wafwalt@yahoo.com and connect on LinkedIn. View my profile and articles... |