Rwanda’s MERGIMS, a mobile app connecting migrants to merchants back home so they can buy electricity, airtime and pay tuition fees for their relatives at just 5% service fee has launched on Android to help reach out to more users as the Android platform grows by the day.
The ”cash to service/goods” startup says this move will give families in East Africa an alternative source of money, cheaper than traditional money remittance services as well give migrants a cheap, efficient and secure solution to send money back home in times of need.
The Android app allows users to pay for utility bills such as Electricity and water using their VISA/MASTER Cards. Users can also buy airtime for their families back home. Each user has the ability to monitor their transactions in the app as well as have their currency converted to that being used by receiver. After sending the money, the sender gets a notification on Email while the receiver get an SMS.
Launched in September 2014 by Muhire Louis-Antoine, 32 years, a Canadian University graduate in communications and his friend and co-founder and COO, the app aims to make it possible for people living in East Africa to have their services paid for by their friends and family living in the Diaspora.
In July, Muhire told TechMoran, “We are bringing this possibility in the hands of the Eastern African diaspora around the world, via a web application (website and mobile application). However, for strategics reasons, at our starting we will be offering our services only in payment of tuition fees, utility bills (water and electricity) and airtime topup.”
Mergins has a list of merchants where anyone in the diaspora can visit and buy goods or pay for services for their loved ones back home.
Launching on Android makes much sense as the platform is the most used in Africa and growing by the day.