UGANDA:Interswitch, Zuku sign payment deal

Customers now have more options to pay for their television subscriptions after last week’s partnership between Wananchi Group Uganda Limited, the owners of Zuku TV, and Interswitch Limited.

The partnership could be interpreted as a move by Zuku TV to strengthen its operations in Uganda’s competitive low pay television market, where a number of firms have come up with innovative products to lure customers.

“Our Uganda customers will now be able to make payments across multiple channels at their own convenience. It will be a hassle-free procedure, where our customers will be in control of their payments.

The Interswitch partnership will go a long way in laying the platform for the expansion of the Zuku TV viewership to consolidate the group’s market leadership in East Africa and extend its services across east and southern Africa,” Jared Mokobo, the general manager of Zuku TV in Uganda, said. He was speaking at the signing of the agreement at Interswitch’s offices in Nakasero last week.

Zuku TV has more than 130 premium channels for the Ugandan market with monthly subscription packages of Shs 20,000 for Zuku Classic and Shs 30,000 for Zuku premium.

Customers can pay across Interswitch’s multiple payment channels at their own convenience.  These payment options also relieve consumers the hassle of moving around with money, which could expose them to all sorts of risks.

The partnership is set to deepen online transactions and deepen the growth of information and technological solutions in the country. Already, customers can pay for different subscriptions over their phones through mobile money.

For Interswitch, the signing with Zuku widens its payment solutions in a market that grew substantially after the country switched on to digital migration in June.

Interswitch Uganda says it has a network where customers can make transactions across 14 financial institutions, with more than 300 ATMs and over 350 Interswitch Quickteller agents.

SOURCE:THE OBSERVER.