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More SA merchants join VodaPay Super App community

Sibahle Malinga
By Sibahle Malinga, ITWeb senior news journalist.
Johannesburg, 18 Oct 2021
Image source: Twitter
Image source: Twitter

Vodacom has signed partnership deals with online merchant OneDayOnly, on-demand truck hire app Droppa and fast food franchise KFC to add their apps to the VodaPay Super App, as more local businesses join the telco’s “digital mall”.

Last week, Vodacom’s Super App officially went live and was made available to local customers on any mobile network.

Developed by Vodacom’s fintech arm, Vodacom Financial and Digital Services, the new app provides an ecosystem of third-party services that allow consumers to do everything from peer-to-peer payments, to sending money and ordering takeaways, or making grocery purchases.

Vodacom first announced the app in June, when it invited developers and businesses to join its ecosystem by building their own “Mini Programs” on the mobile platform.

A super app, also described as a digital mall, is a mobile application that provides umbrella services – a trend which has gained momentum in the past year, accelerated by more people taking to online channels as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As more local retailers accelerate their mobile-first strategy, over 30 merchants have joined VodaPay, with hopes to gain access to Vodacom’s millions of subscribers who are able to use the app data-free. Data charges apply for customers of other network providers.

“Two key benefits in partnering with Vodacom is their scale and strong brand reputation,” says Nicholas Duminy, digital and e-commerce director at KFC South Africa.

“Partnering with Vodacom supports our ambition to make KFC online ordering as accessible as possible – the key benefit is the ability to target a broad captive audience on the VodaPay platform, as well as reach data-conscious consumers.”

Duminy adds the super app concept has been highly successful in Asia, and he believes there is opportunity in SA and Africa for local platforms.

“To succeed within this space, the platform will need to deliver a high level of utility, which is determined by three key benefits – the number of partners available to consumers, the technical integrity of the platform (ease in transacting), and the underlying benefits to purchase in the environment (loyalty). The VodaPay platform ticks each of these boxes.”

Vodacom says the mobile platform is aimed at driving digital and financial inclusion in SA and the rest of the continent by enabling a variety of financial services, such as securely allowing consumers to load money into their wallets and send it to anyone in real-time.

Users can use VodaPay to make any purchase within its ecosystem, ranging from e-commerce to buying airtime, electricity, water and insurance.

“The explosive growth of online shopping in SA over the last two years has meant shoppers are becoming savvier than ever and we need to make sure we are doing whatever we can to keep up with our customers’ needs,” says Laurian Venter, director for OneDayOnly.

“By partnering with Vodacom, we are reaching a much wider audience, creating brand awareness and attracting new shoppers.”

Retail giant Massmart recently launched mobile apps for its subsidiaries Makro and Builders Warehouse on VodaPay, as it looks to boost its e-commerce strategy.

Other merchants listed on the app include Edgars, NetFlorist, Clicks, OneCart and flights booking platform FlightSite.

Droppa says working with a reputable tech giant like Vodacom will give the Johannesburg-based on-demand platform for trucks and bakkies much credibility and value.

“We saw the VodaPay partnership as an alternative revenue stream to our business. Users are tired of having multiple apps on their devices, which makes them delete apps when they run out of memory. Super apps offer a one-stop marketplace for users,” says Khathu Mufamadi, CEO of Droppa.

The VodaPay Super App is available for download from the Apple and Android app stores.

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