(Ecofin Agency) - Last week, Steward Bank launched a WhatsApp banking platform in Zimbabwe.

The platform baptised “Sosholoza” is the result of a partnership between Facebook and the bank. It is a virtual assistant that helps the user during their whole banking journey.

Thanks to it, the user can buy airtime, make mobile money, ZIPIT, and ZimSwitch transactions. The user can also make operations via local banks with Sosholoza.

The platform is also connected to Mastercard and visa for transactions abroad.  

According to Lance Mambondiani (photo), chief executive officer of Steward Bank, the new service contributes to universal access to banking services. “What we wanted to do was to make sure we made banking universal, so on this platform all we did was combine two things ; Whatsapp, because we know that's where you spend your time, and banking. So put the two together and whoever you bank with, no matter where your money is, you can do transactions as long as you have a Whatsapp number,”   Lance Mambondiani said.

Let’s note that the public opening of this platform developed by Steward Bank’s technical team with Facebook’s support has been authorized by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. According to Lance Mambondiani, it was also certified by Ernst and Young for the security of transactions.