Namibia’s ICT provider, Paratus Telecom has partnered with Nomanini’s to launch a new mobile airtime distribution service called “Katiti” to make it easy for just anyone to become an entrepreneur.
Katiti, virtually indestructible terminal, or “business in a box” will enable just anyone to sell prepaid airtime vouchers. Powered by Noamini, the cloud-based platform allow vendors to simply ‘upload’ airtime when they have internet access and resell it offline or even minus electricity. The vendor simply selects the type and amount of airtime to be sold and a voucher is printed within seconds.
According to John D’Alton, Managing Director: Namibia, Paratus Telecom: “We wanted to bring something new to the market – something that would not only benefit us, and the millions of people who use prepaid phones, but that would also give entrepreneurial individuals an opportunity to supplement their incomes.”
The device’s battery lasts for five days and is fully charged after just eight hours – ideal for rural areas or places where electricity access is unreliable.Nomanini was recently selected as a finalist for this year’s DAC prize in the category: Taking Development Innovation to Scale. Among the factors that impressed the judging panel was the prospect of better service delivery at lower cost for the poor in Africa, enhanced transparency of micro-payments, and the potential to scale quickly.