Another African Mobile Banking Success Story in the Making
Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) headquartered in Kigali has just launched a new mobile banking and payment product via two of the three mobile network operators, with the third to follow in the last quarter of 2010. Although BPR is Rwanda’s largest bank, with more than 1.2 million consumer customers and the largest branch network with 189 locations nation-wide, it suffers from poor infrastructure in many remote areas and lack of internet penetration and connectivity. BPRs goal of expanding access to financial services to the un-banked in Rwanda has been a challenge since it’s restructuring in 2007.
Following the successful launch in 2009 of mobile banking services by partner bank National Microfinance Bank (NMB) in Tanzania, BPR has adopted a street-level approach to mobile banking, providing information, spreading the word and signing up new customers. NMB’s successful mobile banking platform has reached over 250,000 customers in a year of operation, all of whom are gladly paying for the service and making on average almost 10 transactions per month – including balance checking, transfers, and prepaid airtime and electricity purchases.
Back in Rwanda, BPR launched “BPR Mobile Banking” this September, with local radio, promotional teams, nation-wide brand-awareness campaigns, and cooperation of all 198 local branches, and is seeing from 7,000 to 10,000 customers sign-up for the service per week. Many thousands per week are actually opening new bank accounts to access the service.
One of the most important factors for the success of these products has been customer communication and information. Although a rarity in many African banks, BPR carried out a comprehensive customer survey and interview process prior to launching BPR Mobile Banking to get feedback, comments and advice from its customers. Combined with the lessons learned from sister bank NMB in Tanzania, BPR constructed a focused promotional campaign, promo team support programme for local branches, a full array of brochures, FAQs, handbooks and radio material in multiple languages, and a proactive out-bound calling campaign using their newly-designed call centre to help people in setting up and using the service.
Being accessible to
all existing and potential customers was key for the success in Tanzania, and remains a critical success factor for BPR in Rwanda. Almost 90% of the customer base had accessibility at launch due to the partnership with MTN and Tigo. And with the addition of Rwandatel the last 10% of the population’s mobile phones will be serviceable within a few weeks.
(Image of new customer starting to use the service)
For more information, see
www.bpr.rw.
