Ecobank’s mobile app woos 3 million customers
By BUSINESS REPORTER THE upgraded version of Ecobank’s revolutionary mobile app has attracted 3 million new customers in Africa within six months, bringing the total number of users to 4 million.
Ecobank Zambia’s managing director Kola Adeleke said Ecobank was committed to providing Africans with access to financial services by offering convenient, accessible and reliable digital services.
Mr Adeleke said the bank wanted to be the digital bank of choice for all Africans, adding its customers in Zambia could also benefit from its services.
“All you need is a registered sim card to have an Xpress account with Ecobank, and our customers in Zambia can open an account with Ecobank by downloading the Ecobank Mobile app which is available for download from the Google Play Store or Apple Store or by simply dialing *324# from their mobile phones,” he said.
Ecobank Group CEO, Ade Ayeyemi said Ecobank’s strategic mission was built around using mobile banking to deliver innovative, efficient and cost-effective services to those who are typically outside of the formal economy.
He said the services go far beyond the reach of the traditional branch and ATM networks.
Mr Ayeyemi said while the app attracted 1 million customers in its first year of launch, upgraded features had seen the rate of sign-ups treble in half of the time, adding the app usage had been growing at an average of 700,000 new customers per month this year.
“Customers can use the app on their mobile to instantly open Ecobank Xpress Account, which doesn’t have any account fees, paperwork or minimum balance requirements, or to send and receive money across 33 African countries,” he said.
The app builds on the core functionality that saw the original version applauded as a game changer for African banking by using digital technology to combat many of the financial inclusion barriers faced by those on the continent.