Supporting small enterprise

The VodaPay super-app in South Africa combines our capabilities across consumers and merchants in payments, lending, insurance and e-Commerce, and provides exposure to new growth verticals such as savings and investments. Unique mini apps provide VodaPay service and merchant offerings. We enabled several SMEs looking to access the e-Commerce market to be part of the ecosystem.

The VodaLend platform in South Africa continues to extend credit to SMEs. Vodacom Financial Services introduced VodaLend Business Cash Advance, which provides finance to smaller unregistered enterprises in need of quick access to short-term cash advances of up to R1.5 million.

Kwika in South Africa is a mid-priced point of sale device that enables SMEs to process debit and credit card payments, and offer value-added services to consumers. Kwika gives business owners access to Vodacom Financial Services' products and solutions, including merchant reporting through the online merchant portal and VodaPay super-app.

Vodacom Financial Services provides payment solutions to SMEs in South Africa. The digital and electronic solutions include physical payment processing where we issue Android card processing machines and online processing for e-Commerce.

M-Pesa SME solutions (outside of South Africa) is a payment platform that offers access to personal services and simplifies and expands access to e-Commerce. SMEs can manage business transactions, pay salaries and pensions, and receive subsidies and government grants. These solutions reduce the risks of carrying cash. The M-Pesa super-app in Tanzania and Kenya connects various SMEs, including retailers, restaurants, and food delivery and transport service providers.

Wakala Songesha and Wezesha Wakala in Tanzania are mobile financial services enabling M-Pesa agents to access instant overdraft facilities and larger short-term loans, helping support their productivity, sustainability and profitability.

M-Pesa Lipa kwa Simu (pay by phone) in Tanzania supports digitised payments and a cashless society, helping SMEs avoid the burden and risks of carrying cash. Customers easily pay for goods and services using their mobile phones, and small enterprises benefit from digital payments, tracking their transactions, building financial history and secure transactions.

Examples of how we are contributing to the ambitions and targets of SDG 8

We also support SDG 8 through employment equity, fair pay and supply chain practices. See pages 40, 69 and 78)

Transformation through B-BBEE in South Africa and localisation in other countries. See pages 14 and 10