Airtel Ghana?s rebranding of Zain?s Zap Mobile Money to ?Airtel Money?, with the added features of mobile commerce services, paid off at the Second Mobileworld Ghana Telecom Award by coming up tops in the Best Mobile Money category.

Airtel forfeited three awards from last year, CEO of the Year, and Customer Service of the Year, and Marketing Campaign of the Year, to multiple-award-winner, Vodafone, but ?Airtel Money?, which was the first in the country to have linked customers mobile money account to their bank account, was too compelling to have lost out.

Airtel Money was also the first to have allowed customers to cash money from their mobile money account at the automated teller machines (ATMs) of partner banks, and was also the first to have allowed customers to transfer money across mobile networks.

It also allowed customers to make purchases in selected shops partner and and restaurants, and pay with their virtual Airtel Money wallet without the use of cash.

Most recently, Airtel added a free life insurance cover for all Airtel Money customers who save with UniBank; and also added interest on the Airtel Mobile Money wallets of customers who save with UT Bank.

Head of Corporate Affairs at Airtel Ghana, Donald Gwira, who received the award on behalf of the company said ?I believe this award gives ample testimony to the innovation and strength of the Airtel Money product.?

He noted that because of the uniqueness of the brand, the partner institutions such as banks, retail shops and restuarants keep increasing by the day.

Some of the partners banks are Ecobank, UBA, Standard Chartered Bank; Unibank , UT Bank, GT Bank and Zenith Bank; the partner retail shops included Melcom, Koala, and Marx Mart (at A&C); Palace Hypermarket, Sneda Supermarkets; and the restaurants are Sunshine, Honeysuckle, Tante Marie, Crossroads and Nibbles among others.

Airtel Money was modeled on Kenya?s most successful and world famous MPESA Mobile Money, designed as a virtual mobile wallet that offered a full range of mobile commerce services, including mobile banking, and others financial services.

Besides its uniqueness, it was also comparable to others on the market which allowed money transfer to loved one, purchasing or toping up of credit, and payment of utility bills, as well as service bills like DSTV subscription fees, for instance.

Airtel Money has more than 500 dealers across the country to make it easy for people to transfer and receive money transferred to them anywhere they are in the country.


The company is also working with schools to allow students to receive Airtel Money transfers at designated points controlled by school authorities.