Pan-African low-cost airline FastJet started accepting mobile payments via Tanzania’s leading mobile telecommunications company Vodacom.
The announcement was made in Dar Es Salaam by the Head of Branding and Communication for Vodacom Tanzania, Mr Kelvin Twissa and FastJet Commercial Manager for Tanzania, Mrs Jean Uku.
FastJet passengers can now buy their tickets using the M-PESA (M for mobile, Pesa for money in Swahili) Vodacom money transfer system.
The Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) permits to deposit or withdraw cash and send money without the need of a bank account hence allowing non-banking population to execute non cash payments.
FastJet expects to accept credit and debit card in the next months, providing a further easy payment option.
Since its launch at the end of November 2012, FastJet has flown over 30,000 passengers between Dar es Salaam and its two current destinations of Kilimanjaro and Mwanza, in the North of Tanzania.
The air carrier will be announcing new international routes in the coming weeks.
MMT, which was introduced in 2008 in Tanzania, is being used by 9 Million mobile phone subscribers out of 25.8 Million.
According to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor, Prof Benno Ndulu, at the moment only 35% of the total money in circulation is in the formal sector.
Monthly money mobile transactions in Tanzania reached USD 700 Millions in December 2012.
