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Opay to Enforce N50 Levy on Transfers Above N10,000 Starting September 9

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Opay

Opay will begin charging customers a N50 levy on electronic transfers of N10,000 and above paid into their accounts from September 9, 2024.

The fintech revealed this in a message to customers titled ‘FGN Electronic Money Transfer levy’, which started making rounds on Saturday.

The company said, “Please be informed that starting September 9th 2024, a one-time fee of N50 will be applied to electronic transfers of N10,000 and above paid into your personal or business account, in compliance with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regulations.

The fintech noted that it would not benefit from this charge as it is directly paid to the Federal Government. The fintech already charges customers N10 after their third transfer to other banks in a day.

EMTL, introduced in the Finance Act 2020, was an amendment to the Stamp Duty Act to tap into the growth of electronic transfers. It is a one-off charge of N50 on electronic receipt or transfer of money deposited in any deposit bank or financial institution on any type of account for sums of N10,000 and above.

In 2023, the Federal government made N180.31 billion from EMTL, a 29.45 percent increase from its N136.35 billion target. Revenue from EMTL is shared among the three tiers of government. The growth in EMTL revenue is expected to be fuelled by further increases in cashless transactions in the country, especially with the Central Bank of Nigeria anticipating a slowdown in cash usage by 2025.

By the end of 2023, cashless transactions surged to over N600 trillion from N395.38 trillion in 2022 as more Nigerians embraced digital payment channels. This trend continued in 2024, with transactions growing by 88.09 percent to N237 trillion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.

However, revenues from EMTL have not reflected this growth. According to experts’ micro transactions, defined as transfers below N10,000, and their platforms, such as Opay and Palmpay, are powering Nigeria’s electronic payment (e-payment) boom.

Opay, which has over 30 million customers, was one of the winners of the 2023 Central Bank of Nigeria’s botched naira redesign and cashless policy when it demonstrated resilience during the naira cash shortage that exposed vulnerabilities in many traditional banking platforms.

“Payment methods have become easier, faster, and better, and people are using them for everyday things,” said Adedeji Olowe, founder of Lendsqr.

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Kazang Pay Launches Card Acquiring Service in Zambia

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Kazang, the prepaid value-added services (VAS) and card acquiring business within JSE-listed fintech Lesaka Technologies, has launched its Kazang Pay card acceptance solution for merchants in Zambia. Kazang Pay makes it affordable for merchants to accept card payments on the same Kazang terminal they use to sell prepaid products and services.

The Kazang Pay enabled terminal in Zambia accepts VISA debit and credit cards as well as mobile wallet payments. Payments are settled to the merchant’s Kazang wallet on the same day. It’s as easy as letting the customer tap or insert their bank card and enter their PIN on the secure scramble PIN pad.

Kazang operates around 12,000 VAS terminals in Zambia. The goal is to enable the majority to accept card payments over the next six months. Benefits to merchants include low transaction fees and no monthly terminal rental fee for those that meet a modest monthly transaction threshold as well as the opportunity to grow their business through card acceptance.

Kazang is Zambia’s largest VAS point-of-sale terminal provider, enabling mobile money payments, bank and mobile money cash in and out, bill payments, airtime, Zesco, and many other prepaid services on one platform. The addition of card acceptance makes the platform even more comprehensive for merchants and consumers alike.

The launch of Kazang Pay in Zambia follows the introduction of the solution in South Africa, where around 60,000 small and micro merchants use Kazang Pay to accept card payments.  In Zambia, there are around 3.8 million debit, credit and ATM cards in issue and 41,000 point of sale (POS) terminals in place. The value of POS transactions has grown to K 111.4 billion by 2022 from less than K 20 billion in 2018, according to the Bank of Zambia.

Says Leon de Wit, managing director at Kazang Zambia: “Zambia has made enormous strides in terms of financial inclusion, with card usage and penetration growing at a rapid pace. With Kazang Pay, merchants can now easily accept card payments on the same all-in-one terminal they already use for vending of VAS products.

“Card transactions help merchants to grow basket sizes and potentially attract more customers, and at the same time, reduce the risks and costs of handling cash. Moving towards digitalised payments will also enable merchants to track sales, manage cash flow,  and create a footprint that could make it easier for them to access loans.”

Ashley Naidoo, director of Kazang Pay in South Africa says: “Our Zambian merchants have eagerly embraced our card acquiring service as a valuable part of our one-stop solution. Following the launch of Kazang Pay in Zambia, we have seen higher VAS sales across our merchant base and much-improved merchant retention and with our card acquiring solution we now appeal to a broader merchant base.”

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PayRetailers Expands Into Nigeria, Other African Countries

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PayRetailers, the leading payment processor for Latin America, has today announced further expansion into Africa.

With coverage now across 12 countries, the company offers a unified simple payment solution that will be a game changer for cross-border online merchants looking at Africa as their next move for strategic growth.

PayRetailers offer a simple, user-friendly, and scalable experience to businesses looking to grow their regional operations and give them access to major local payment methods like MPESA, Airtel, and MTN.

The further expansion includes Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Nigeria, having recently launched in Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda, and Tanzania three months ago.

This expansion effort further solidifies PayRetailers’ ability to unlock new growth opportunities for their clients, giving them easy access to additional emerging markets. For existing clients, in fact, this process requires zero integration efforts, as it is all handled via the same API.

With many populations across Africa being underbanked, PayRetailers accelerates financial inclusion across the region by supporting businesses with their growth journey. The market is increasingly mobile and connected, with global businesses seeking to tap into the strong growth opportunities across Africa.

The expansion marks a significant milestone in PayRetailers’ ambitious growth plans, with further expansion planned into more African countries as well as Europe. Leveraging its extensive experience in Latin America, the company is well equipped to address the unique needs of African consumers and businesses.

Jonathan Vintner, Global Head of Sales at PayRetailers, said: “Expanding into eight new markets marks a significant milestone for PayRetailers as we continue our mission to bring tailored payment solutions to diverse regions. Africa is a vibrant and varied continent, with payment preferences that differ from region to region.

“For example, our launch in Kenya enables merchants to access M-Pesa, the country’s leading mobile money provider, while in South Africa, we’re offering a blend of card and cash solutions to meet local demands. All of this is seamlessly integrated into our existing API, allowing merchants to access the top payment methods across Latin America and now Africa through a single connection—with more countries on the horizon”.

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HabariPay’s Profits Surge 30.7% in H1 2024, Reflecting Strong Growth in Digital Payments

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GTCO Commemorates Listing on Nigerian Exchange - Investors King

HabariPay, the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), has reported a 30.7 percent rise in profit in the first half of 2024.

Analysis of the tier-one bank’s recent financial statement showed that the fintech recorded a profit after tax of N1.7 billion in H1, compared to N1.3 billion in the same period of 2023.

According to the financial statement, HabariPay’s growth showed promising adoption of the bank’s digital payments business as it looks to bolster its hold on the fintech sector.

“Through our Habari platform, our customers can shop for diverse products online, pay bills, watch videos, and listen to music. We continue to improve the platform to meet and support everyone’s lifestyle,” it said.

A further breakdown of the report revealed that the fintech company’s operating income in the first six months increased by 22.7 percent, N2.7 billion in H1, from N2.2 billion in the same period of last year. Its operating expenses rose to N703 million from N688 million.

The company generated N2.06 billion from its core business activities, an 815.6 percent rise from N225 million reported in 2023.

When Guaranty Trust Bank transitioned from its standalone commercial banking structure into a holding company, HabariPay became a standalone business offering payments, a marketplace, and small business services.

HabariPay’s flagship product, Squad, combines a payment gateway and e-commerce platform with a Point-of-Sale business.

The statement added, “In line with its mission of empowering businesses and young innovators across Africa, HabariPay’s Squad launched its first-ever coding sprint, Take on Squad Hackathon 1.0. The two-day social coding event was held at the state-of-the-art GTCO Training Complex, Tayo’s Plaza, Abeokuta, Ogun State.”

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