UnionPay International recently announced that the achievement in partnership in acquiring, issuing, and mobile payment with National Microfinance Bank (NMB), one of the largest commercial bank in Tanzania. It is expected that by the end of 2019, the acceptance rate of UnionPay cards will reach 90% in Tanzania. Cai Jianbo, CEO of UnionPay International, and Albert Jonkergouw, Managing Director of NMB, attended the cooperation ceremony.
Tanzania is a significant participant of the One Belt and One Road initiative, which is also one of the countries with most abundant tourism resources in Africa. At present, UnionPay cards are accepted at more than half of the local ATMs, and one in every two local merchants, including tourist attractions, shopping malls and hotels, accepts UnionPay cards. Since 2017, more than 100,000 UnionPay cards have issued in Tanzania. Currently, this cooperation will include the following parts: first, NMB will enable all its ATMs, POS terminals accept UnionPay card within this year. Second, NMB will enable all its online merchants to accept UnionPay cards. Third, both entities will cooperate to issue UnionPay cards in Tanzania as soon as possible.
CAI Jianbo, CEO of UnionPay International, said, in answer to the close ties between China and Africa, UnionPay International continues to expand its acceptance network in Africa, while accelerating the launch of payment solutions tailored for the African market. Next step, UnionPay International will speed up the layout of the Tanzanian market: first, to promote the acceptance of UnionPay card dramatically through realizing the acceptance project of many mainstream institutions. Second, to discuss virtual card issuance and eWallet with banks furtherly while promoting the issuance of traditional physical cards. Consumers could have more payment options. Third, to share UnionPay’s experience in transfer network construction with Tanzania, to upgrade its payment industry infrastructure, and accelerate its inclusive financial process.
Albert Jonkergouw said that, UnionPay is one of the world’s leading payment brands. He is glad to cooperate with UnionPay International in the fields of payment environment construction, inclusive finance, and mobile payment service. He also hopes that the UnionPay card issuance project in Tanzania could be implemented as soon as possible to provide better payment services for local consumers, especially business travelers.
In Africa, UnionPay is accepted in 50 countries and regions, with an overall acceptance rate of over 75%. In countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Uganda and Morocco, UnionPay has almost reached 100% acceptance. Multiple UnionPay card products, including UnionPay premium cards, have been issued in h countries as Mauritius, Kenya, Seychelles and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tourists are also able to make payments by scanning QR codes via the UnionPay app at some merchants in Kenya, Djibouti and Mauritius.
