Namibia’s only mobile phone company MTC introduced a new service to its 470,000 customers on Wednesday. Called ‘mobile transact’, customers can now connect to their bank accounts and pay their cell phone bills via their handset from any areas where there is MTC connection. The new service is available in only 5 African countries, Namibia now being one of them. Customers can pay from their accounts to other person’s accounts. The same goes for Tango customers. A person wanting to embark on ‘mobile transact’, must sign up at MTC, mobile homes, NamPost, or their banks first. Another new addition is airtime distribution. Dealers transfer pre-paid airtime to customers who do not have a bank account. MTC has joined up with CoinTel in South Africa as technical partners for this new service. However, signing up for customers up is not so simple, a very detailed 2-page registration form has to be filled in. They then receive a pin-number to use for the new service.

Bengt Strenge, MD of MTC at the launch of the "mobile transact" service. Photo: Brigitte Weidlich