6 Ways You Can Market To A Zoomer Tourist

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6 Ways You Can Market To A Zoomer Tourist
Generation Z individuals are bringing a new dynamic to the global travel space, including business travel and are using their youth to capitalise on the freedom of remote work culture.
These digital nomads are earning a living as they travel and optimizing their time in different countries and cities by threading leisure travel experiences into their professional work structures. This opens huge doors of potential for the tourism industry to attract Gen Zs embarking on bleisure travel – who are spending their money on fully experiencing destinations and their attractions – across both leisure and business travel.
But this sharp and tech-smart generation needs fresh, innovative and engaging marketing tactics to grab their attention, build brand trust, and then convert into profitable business.

Here’s what tourism businesses need to know about the Generation Z bleisure traveller, and how to market to them.

1.Capitalise on the Gen Z tech connection

Gen Zs were born surrounded by smart technology, so they expect tech to be part of their business travel experience. So much so, in fact, that they do their own travel research and often prefer to make their own bookings so that they have full control of their travel experience, and can customise elements according to their preferences.

Top tip: As a tourism business, ensure that your brand is accessible and easy to engage with on the digital platforms on which this generation spends most of its time. This includes social media channels like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube – with TikTok currently being the most popular amongst Gen Zers, who enjoy short-form video content.

2.Unconventional accommodation with heart

Gen Zs are all about experiencing new and different things, and that includes where they stay while travelling. Smaller boutique hotels and short-stay accommodation are popular because they offer a different, more intimate experience for working digital nomads.

Top tip: Now is the time for smaller establishments to step up their marketing efforts. But keep it authentic – the “human element” is vital in building rapport and relationships with Gen Zs. Share meaningful experiences that they can enjoy when they’re taking time out of a busy work day – tapping into that emotive “me too” side is powerful when connecting with Gen Zs. And use storytelling! Stories build a taste of what an experience could be like, so they are already “committing” to you and your establishment.

Don’t forget to signpost the workplace-supportive features that your establishment has as well. While this generation plays hard, they work hard too, and need the facilities and amenities to support a streamlined work experience.

3.Give them what they want – for as long or short a time as needed

Gen Zs are like experience sponges – they want to experience as much as possible- and extra initiatives to deliver this for them will earn you a big gold star in their books. They also like to experience the “better things in life” that they may not normally have access to in their own daily lives.

“If you know a Gen Z has booked into your establishment, go the extra mile and bring in extra luxuries for the time they’re staying there,” suggests Jazeign Kesari, national procurement manager at Teljoy.

4.Make a point of making a difference

This generation also has a strong affinity for accommodation spaces that make meaningful efforts to uplift the environment and their communities. They are keenly aware of causes and environmentally conscious, says Tshepo Matlou, head of marketing and communications at Jurni.

“If you haven’t done so yet, implement smart eco-friendly initiatives at your establishment. There are so many brilliant green tourism ideas out there, like installing a water-bottle filling station at reception, using sustainable furnishings in your rooms, sourcing food from nearby suppliers, donating leftover food to charities, composting, and water-wise gardening. As you improve your sustainability practices, get the word out. Share it on social media, using hashtags to appeal to eco-conscious consumers,” he says.

Sandra Kneubuhler, district director for Radisson Hotel Group in South Africa, echoes this sentiment, adding that Gen Zs who are considering hotels will be looking for an establishment that prioritises sustainable business practices such as carbon reduction and ethical business procedures.

5.Leverage local

Gen Zs’ appreciation of authenticity is threaded right through into deeply local elements, including food, the heritage of the local community, cultural experiences, the shopping scene, and even the local nightlife.

Now, more than ever before, Gen Z travellers are finding personal value in engaging with local communities, and there is perhaps no better way to experience and embrace new cultures than through food, which transcends all barriers to understanding between cultural groups, says Matlou.

Top tip: If your establishment has a restaurant or offers an in-room food menu, source your ingredients locally – and share with your Gen Z market that you do so. Also, partner with unique local tourism experiences to give your customers exciting options to include in an experience itinerary. Bringing in a local transport partner is also a great way to include local tourism businesses in a holistic offering – and they can give your customers peace of mind by transporting them to business meetings or events.

6.Capture your slice of the hyperconnected-generation pie

Gen Zs are a unique consumer market – they are tech-sperts, they are decisive in what they want to experience, and they want to experience as much as possible. Add to that that they’re willing to pay more to experience activities, accommodation, and a remote working environment that supports this flexible and experiential lifestyle, and you’ve got a market worth its weight in gold.

Put effort into connecting with them authentically across all touchpoints of communication – from booking to helping them build an itinerary; and plump up their whole experience with little added extras. It’s worth the effort – and remember that going that extra mile could be rewarded with excellent reviews (a solid go-to for Gen Zs researching trustworthy accommodation and activities), and word-of-mouth referrals.

Eskom Expects $476m World Bank Loan Decision By November

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Eskom Expects $476m World Bank Loan Decision By November

Eskom expects a final decision on a new $476m World Bank loan to repurpose its Komati coal-fired power plant into a renewable station before November’s COP27 climate summit, chief executive Andre de Ruyter said on Friday, 16 September.

The money will be used for three packages, which includes decommissioning certain parts of the 1,000 megawatt (MW) Komati power plant that is currently only using one unit to despatch 125MW of power when needed, as Eskom battles its worst period of power cuts since it started more than a decade ago.

The World Bank loan is separate from the $8.5bn financial package to help South Africa, one of the world’s biggest polluters, move away from its reliance on coal-fired power plants that supply the bulk of its electricity needs.

“The second one (package) is for the repurposing, which includes 100MW of solar, 150MW of battery storage and 40-70MW of wind all around Komati. The benefit, of course, is we can use existing transmission infrastructure,” De Ruyter told journalists on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference.

Addressing the just transition

The final package is about addressing the “just component” and helping ensure that the impact for employees and contractors in the coal value chain was minimised, he said.

Situated in Mpumalanga halfway between Middelburg and Bethel, Komati was first fired up in 1961 and was mothballed for almost two decades before a decision was taken in 2004 to reinstate the station to help alleviate power outages.

“We were in Washington last week, really productive and positive meetings,” De Ruyter said, adding that he expected a final decision on the loan before the end of November.

Immuno Cure BioTech acquires Shanghai Teresa Healthcare

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Integrating Electroporation Technology & DNA Vaccine Platforms

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 September 2022 – Immuno Cure BioTech, a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park specialising in DNA vaccines and immunotherapies, announced today the acquisition of 92.6% of Shanghai Teresa Healthcare, the pioneer of electroporation technology and device in China. The transaction will be settled in cash and shares. Teresa’s shareholders will swap for about 1.5% equity in Immuno Cure while the inventor of Teresa’s EP technology, Professor XU Yuhong (徐宇虹), maintains her 7.4% direct equity in Teresa.

Teresa EP device delivers brief electrical pulses to promote efficient penetration of DNA vaccine through cell membrane for the enhancement of gene expression and ultimate immune responses. It is the only such device approved by National Medical Products Administration for the administration of DNA vaccine in China. Such EP technology has been an integral part of Immuno Cure’s DNA vaccine delivery strategy from research to clinical stage.

Founded in 2004, Shanghai Teresa is an innovative medical device group focusing in electro immunotherapies and rehabilitation therapies. In 2005, Teresa’s electroporation technology was developed to enhance the delivery of DNA medicine, based on the intellectual property generated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University under the National 863 Project. Such EP technology has been proven safe and efficacious after deployment of over 10,000 times in collaboration with more than thirty hospitals for the administration of DNA medicine in numerous human trial subjects.

Immuno Cure has two PD-1-Enhanced DNA vaccines currently in phase 1 clinical trial for prevention of COVID-19 and therapeutic cure of HIV/AIDS.

Dr JIN Xia, CEO of Immuno Cure said, “Immuno Cure has partnered with Teresa over the years in developing customised EP delivery strategy for our PD-1-Enhanced DNA vaccines, which has brought about encouraging results in clinical setting recently. I am pleased with this convergence with Teresa, which will no doubt bring our teams even closer together. Teresa will continue to operate independently while leveraging on Immuno Cure’s R&D platform for the development of their next generation non-invasive EP technology for intradermal delivery strategy. Immuno Cure is committed to support the continual growth and success of Teresa.”

Ms. CHEN Liye, CEO of Teresa said, “Founded on our long term collaboration, Teresa is excited to become a member of Immuno Cure Group. This move will not only provide us with a much closer R&D relationship, which is essential for our technology advancement but also offer us the financial capability to meet future needs. Teresa treasures our collaborations with other players in the field and look forward to continuing our collaborations with new and sustainable EP technology.”

Professor CHEN Zhiwei, Director of AIDS Institute at the University of Hong Kong and the Principal Scientific Advisor of Immuno Cure said, “Our research and development work at the AIDS Institute and Immuno Cure has benefitted from Teresa’s EP technology and their diligent collaborative effort over the past 12 years. I am pleased to see their relationship developing into an even closer tie. Look forward to the development of the next generation of EP technology for further optimisation of delivery strategy and patient experience.”

Dr Percy CHENG, Chairman of Immuno Cure concludes, “This transaction offers Immuno Cure the opportunity to secure Teresa’s EP technology for support of not only R&D but also the clinical administration of our PD-1-Enhanced DNA vaccines. We are pleased with Professor XU’s decision to remain as our co-investor in Teresa and are optimistic in the future of EP technology in our DNA vaccine development.”

Hashtag: #ImmunoCureBiotech
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Immuno Cure BioTech

Immuno Cure BioTech
Immuno Cure BioTech is a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on research and development of vaccines and immunotherapies for cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented PD-1-Enhanced DNA vaccine and Anti-Δ42PD1 Blocking Antibody technology platforms.

To learn more about Immuno Cure BioTech, please visit 

Shanghai Teresa Healthcare
Founded in 2004, Shanghai Teresa is an innovative medical device group based in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, focusing in electro immunotherapies and rehabilitation therapies.

To learn more about Shanghai Teresa Healthcare, please visit

Aruba brings Atmosphere 2022 SEATH and India to Bangkok, Thailand

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 20 September 2022 – Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, (NYSE:HPQ) today brings back their annual Aruba Atmosphere Conference – SEATH and India – to Bangkok, Thailand. The conference gathers business-driven companies from the region to dive into the best industry practices, drive insightful technology discussion and hone new skills around the latest updates that will help continuously modernize their networks.

www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates, follow Aruba on and , and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products, visit the Airheads Community at .

Securing The Future Of People And Business

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Securing The Future Of People And Business

Africa is facing a continued shortage of critical skills. This shines a relentless light on the importance of empowering young people so they can connect with careers and futures that inspire them.

In the cybersecurity space, this focus has never been more important as cybercrime grows exponentially more virulent in a landscape that seriously lacks skills. As Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 (www.KnowBe4.com) Africa, says the industry needs more women to resolve the skills and inequality challenges.

“Skills shortages in the cybersecurity space hamper the growth of emerging technologies and the potential of Africa to leap forward into the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),” she adds. “By the same token, the security industry remains stagnant when it comes to gender diversity and representation. If the two complexities come together, they could create the perfect solution to this growing problem.”

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) (https://bit.ly/3BjLPgM), 2022 revealed 2.72 million vacancies for security professionals that remained empty. South Africa isn’t escaping unscathed. The KnowBe4 Cyber Security Skills Pipeline Survey 2022 interviewed 60 South African enterprises and found that 72% of respondents could not find candidates with enough practice experience. Then there’s the World Bank (https://bit.ly/3qLnMTp) pointing out that the lack of cybersecurity talent is limiting the world’s ability to stay ahead of digitisation thanks to the rise in risk and security complexity. It also pointed out that women account for only ‘two out of every ten cybersecurity professionals even though they take up almost half the global workforce’. Why? Because of industry perceptions, societal limitations, barriers to entry, lower earning potential, and a tougher path to the top than men, even with the same qualifications.

It is time to change both dialogues with one simple solution – inclusivity and engagement with technology for young women and girls. This can start with more female role models being used to showcase their work within the technology industry to girls in schools and to wed this to more exposure to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). In the KnowBe4 survey taken before Women’s Day 2022 of 200 women aged 25-54, respondents believed that more girls and young women would be motivated to join the security sector if they were mentored early on in their careers (78%) and if STEM programs were more readily available earlier in their lives (58.5%).

“If more female role models showcased how cybersecurity was an accessible and exciting career for women, then it would shift perceptions and engage with young women from the outset,” says Collard. “This should be accompanied by a grassroots level change in making cybersecurity more accessible to women through mentorships, skills development programs, and ongoing awareness.”

The Women’s Day survey found that women are not excluded from the cybersecurity sector due to discrimination. Most said that they had experienced very little (23.5%) to none (30%), which tallies with shifting attitudes and approaches in the sector. It also found that women were increasingly attracted to working in technology and cybersecurity. Nearly 73% of respondents had always been interested in technology and 22.5% were drawn to it thanks to great role models. Putting women in visible spaces and high-level roles works, it just needs to then be aligned with increased equality across pay and access to opportunities.

“Nearly 50% of the respondents said that they were not paid the equivalent of their male colleagues, and many were not comfortable applying for a promotion, either because they felt they were not ready or because they felt their male colleague was more likely to get the job,” says Collard. “We need to shift this legacy issue alongside increased skills development and awareness because that will inhibit future growth.”

Moving forward, it’s important to focus on making the cybersecurity sector more accessible to women and to invest into cybersecurity training that will fill urgent skills gaps while offering opportunity to women. In Africa, only nine percent of the security workforce is made up of women which means that the sector is losing out by failing to tap into the massive potential they offer. Training, skills development, equality and access – these are the keys to unlocking the future of not just security skills shortfall, but the continent itself.

Over 530 Jobs Created Through SAP Collaboration To Power Africa’s Digital Economy

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Over 530 Jobs Created Through SAP Collaboration To Power Africa’s Digital Economy

An SAP cooperation project has helped build vital digital skills capacity to power Africa’s digital economy.

According to Cathy Smith, Managing Director at SAP Africa, the cooperation project has helped unlock the immense youth talent dividend in several African countries. “Africa is one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic continents, with vast unlocked potential for innovation, digital transformation and prosperity. However, without access to the correct skills, much of this potential will remain locked away from African enterprises and undermine our global competitiveness. This makes projects such as our collaboration with GIZ and our industry players so vital to the continent’s digital transformation ambitions.”

The project is part of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation and the develoPPP program that the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The aim was to jointly create jobs for highly-qualified personnel in the African IT sector over the course of three years, from 2019 to 2022. Participants came from 16 African countries: Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mali, Angola and Tanzania.

Three-year project produces huge talent dividend

Over the three-year period, a total of 621 young professionals graduated, of which more than 40% were women. More than 530 graduates secured employment following the training. Participants were trained as SAP Associate Consultants and were immediately employable within the SAP partner and customer ecosystem.

Key highlights from the partnership include:

Nearly all (98.6%) participants have successfully graduated from the programs
A total of 537 jobs in the digital economy were created for African youth
A total of 24 classes – or cohorts – were completed within the three-year timeframe.

Alp Geckalan, Head of the Digital Skills Center for EMEA South at SAP, says: “This collaboration shows how digital skills can change people’s lives and contribute to the digital transformation of countries and economies. We are thankful for the collaboration with GIZ and are proud to have been able to jointly create positive change in the lives and careers of so many talented young people.”

Graduates sing program’s praises

Since its launch in 2012, the SAP Young Professionals Program has graduated more than 1 730 youths in Africa across 22 countries. This is nearly half of the total global graduates of the program, which is offered on the continent under the umbrella of SAP Skills for Africa.

The 2-3 month program covers a unique enablement plan that includes SAP software functional/technical knowledge and certification with key focus on SAP’s latest innovations as well as soft and future skills training. It targets bright graduates from universities – all of whom are unemployed or underemployed nationals of the country where the program is offered.

According to Adesola Akorede, a Nigerian graduate, the program has changed her professional and personal life. “I have been able to apply my new skills in my professional life with great results. By virtue of the program, I was able to gain employment with WYZE Consulting, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.”

Mohamed Tahar Seddik Attia, a graduate from Algeria, says he cannot recommend the program highly enough. “This is more than just a program where you learn to use SAP systems. It’s a place where you push your limits, discover new ways of thinking, learn essential skills in the business world and meet amazing people.”

For Ugandan graduate Lebson Nasasira, the program led to a chance at a dream job. “The program was pretty intensive and I had to learn completely new concepts that took me out of my comfort zone. However, thanks to the program, I now have a distinct advantage over my peers in terms of my knowledge, communication skills and hands-on experience with digital transformation.”

Smith adds that the development of Africa’s youthful talent pool ranks among the continent’s top priorities to ensure growth and prosperity throughout the 21st century. “As this hugely successful collaborative partnership has shown, public and private sector companies can combine forces to great effect to equip talented young graduates with the correct skills and make an immediate and sustained positive impact on Africa’s digital economy.”

Europe’s favourite little healthy drinks innocent® has finally arrived in Hong Kong

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Intro-juicing 5 tasty recipes, packed with 100% natural goodness from real fruits. Never added sugars, and no other nonsense

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 September 2022 – Since 1999, innocent® has been on a quest to get healthy drinks into everyone’s hands. Currently drunk in Europe across 32 countries, 5 tasty recipes will now be available in town. Our drinks are made from responsibly sourced fruits from all around the world, and hand-delivered to you in Hong Kong, with the promise of no added sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives or other nonsense – only 100% natural goodness.

www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/

Your invitation to Economist Impact’s Leading the way into the metaverse: Economic opportunities in virtual worlds. September 27th. Online.

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A timely online event exploring economic opportunities in the virtual world

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 September 2022 – More than 500 attendees have already registered for Economist Impact’s Economic opportunities in virtual worlds, the first episode in the three-part webinar series, Leading the way into the metaverse: North East Asia’s potential.

global events.

About Meta

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

For more information, visit .

GBA Innovation Summit Explores the Opportunities of Technology Innovation of Hong Kong

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 September 2022 – Initiated and hosted by TusPark Hong Kong and InvestHK, GBA Innovation Summit, as the opening event of the 2022 StartmeupHK Festival, was successfully held online on September 5th, attracting 1300 registrants from 20+ regions and gaining 100,000 views online.

The GBA Innovation Summit is a one-day virtual summit providing a glimpse of the unleashed potentials and developments in the Greater Bay Area which enables innovators, business partners, governments, and all other stakeholders to connect with each other, exchange ideas and explore possibilities with conferences, business matching activities, exhibitions, etc.

The Summit brought together 46 speakers, who are experts and top business figures from international organizations like IFC, the United Nations, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, multinational corporations and new economy enterprises such as Microsoft, Google, New World Development, Lenovo Capital, China Resources, and TusStar VC. More than ten topics under the themes of Tech innovation, industry, and ESG were discussed in depth, covering the most recent and hotly debated areas of international science and technology development, as well as the entire value chain of innovation in the area.

Mr. Chan Mo-po, Paul, GBM, GBS, MH, JP, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong emphasized the position of Hong Kong in the GBA area in the opening remarks of the summit. He said,the 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to be an international center of science and technology. Over the past five years, the Hong Kong government has invested over 150 billion HKD in the development of innovation and technology or the incubation of startups. “We have created very favorable conditions through innovation and technology funds”, he also mentioned the establishment of the Inno Hong Kong research and development platform, including health@ InnoHK featuring medical technology and AIR@InnoHK featuring robotics and artificial intelligence.

In addition to the enlightening insights on the technology innovation development opportunities in the Greater Bay Area shared by the guest speakers, the Summit also hosted 101 virtual booths, VIP networking session, and other interactive sessions, where visitors met with world-class experts and scholars, venture capitalists, tech enterprises, and industry representatives, so as to match business needs with each other and seize potential opportunities.

To access more information, please visit here. https://www.gbainnovation.info/

Hashtag: #TusParkHongKong #smuhk2022 #startmeuphk

GBA Innovation Summit

GBA Innovation Summit was first held during the StartmeupHK Festival in May 2021, and second hosted in September 2022. To date, nearly 100 renowned technology, investment and industry leaders participated in the one-day online event as roundtable guests. The event attracted about 250,000 viewers from 32 different countries and regions. The Summit also set up nearly 200 82 virtual booths, where entrepreneurs can pitch and share their ideas and have in-depth discussions with investors.

TusPark Hong Kong

Tuspark Hong Kong Limited is a subsidiary under Tus-Holdings Co., Ltd. Since its establishment, it has had the mission of being a gateway for Hong Kong and overseas startups to explore the China market, especially the GBA, as well as a hub for Hong Kong startups to interact with the Mainland China. By far, Tus-Holdings Co Ltd has 300+ incubators; 10,000+ incubates and organised 4,000+ events per year worldwide. In particular, there are 9 incubators set up in the Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Jiangmen, Zhaoqing etc.

About StartmeupHK Festival

The StartmeupHK Festival (SMUHK) is a full week festival initiated and supported by InvestHK and running since 2016 which aims to bring together best technology and innovation to the festival.

Clickatell Helps Nigerians Access eNaira Services, Boosting Financial Inclusion

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Clickatell Helps Nigerians Access eNaira Services, Boosting Financial Inclusion

Clickatell , a CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, has partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  to deliver fast, simple, and cost effective eNaira banking services to all Nigerians using the USSD channel, eliminating the need for data and available on all handsets.

Clickatell has collaborated with the CBN to launch a USSD channel for its eNaira Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) as part of the country’s drive to make basic banking accessible to all Nigerians, ultimately driving financial inclusion.

The eNaira was launched in October 2021 when the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, said Africa’s first central bank-backed digital currency would help boost remittances, foster cross-border trade, and help his government make welfare payments more easily. With financial inclusion at the heart of the eNaira goals, President Buhari also said that he believed the CBDC would increase GDP in the country by $29 billion over the next 10 years.

“Introducing the USSD short code allows non-banked Nigerians, many of whom do not have smartphones, to access cashless banking services and is a big win for the stated goals of delivering meaningful financial inclusion. Clickatell’s role in making this a reality has been one of the most important achievements of our engagements in Nigeria,” comments Uzo Nwani, Clickatell Commercial Director, West Africa.

The new USSD channel allows Nigerians using the *997# short code to create their eNaira wallet. Once this is done, they can easily check balances and transfer funds, as well as safely buy airtime or data for themselves or friends and family. Safeguarding their wallets is also easy on the channel and users can check and update their information, change and reset their pin, or even block the wallet if necessary.

“The USSD channel is a vital part of our journey towards realizing our financial inclusion vision. We see the eNaira as a leap forward in the evolution of money. Thus, CBN is working with partners who are committed to taking advantage of this new technology for continuous innovation towards delivering exciting new features,” comments the CBN Deputy Governor Economic Policy, Dr. Kingsley Obiora.

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data or USSD, is a communications protocol that is supported by 99% of GSM handsets. It remains particularly relevant in developing communities where it is used to provide services at a much lower cost and can be used without requiring access to the user’s SIM card.

Despite the rapid growth of smartphones, the majority of Nigerians are currently using feature phones, making an excellent case for the USSD offering. The CBN is counting on the new channel making rapid inroads towards getting most of the 30% of unbanked Nigerians into the formal banking system.

As part of its efforts, the CBN is working hard to boost awareness and education around the new digital currency and has offered an incentive of 200eNGN airtime for the first 100,000 users to onboard using the eNaira USSD feature.

Looking ahead, Nwani says the Clickatell solution ideally positions the system for new and collaborative additions to help boost the eNaira services.

“Our Chat Flow product provides a robust platform to support rapid innovation. Digital currencies provide measurable customer benefits including lower costs and a simple user experience and adding new innovative features over time will definitely attract more customers. There is no doubt that the CBN has set the benchmark when it comes to financial inclusion in Africa, and we look forward to being part of that journey,” Nwani says.

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