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Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Zanzibar are set to gain wider access to digital payment and financial management services under a new partnership between Mixx and the Zanzibar NGO Forum (Zangof).
The partnership will allow organisations affiliated with Zangof to use the Mixx Business Suite to make salary and beneficiary payments and manage other institutional transactions digitally, potentially reducing the reliance on cash-based processes.
The agreement will also give the NGOs access to Yas communication and internet services, while community groups working with them will be able to use Mixx Kikoba for savings, contributions, share purchases and lending among members.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Zanzibar on September 16, Registrar of Civil Society Organisations in Zanzibar Ahmed Khalid Abdalla said technology could help NGOs improve how they manage funds and deliver services to communities.
“Civil society organisations work directly with people across different communities. We want to see technology being used to make their work easier, improve transparency in financial management and, ultimately, improve the services they provide to the public,” Mr Abdalla said.
Mixx Tanzania Chief Executive Officer Angelica Pesha said the partnership would extend digital financial services to NGOs and the communities they serve, particularly groups that may have limited access to formal financial services.
“Most NGOs work with women, young people, entrepreneurs and different groups within our communities. Through our services, we want to give them simpler and safer ways to manage money, make payments and save,” Ms Pesha said.
She said the focus was on ensuring digital financial services translated into practical benefits for communities.
“For us, financial inclusion means seeing these services help people improve their livelihoods and their lives,” she said.
The partnership comes as digital payments increasingly become part of the operations of institutions and community organisations in Zanzibar.
Mixx already provides digital payment and financial services to several institutions on the islands, including the Department of Cooperative Development, ZARTSA, ZanBus and ZSTC.
The services are being used for activities ranging from farmer payments to public transport and other routine transactions.
Through the Zangof partnership, Mixx plans to extend the services to more NGOs and community groups, enabling them to manage payments and funds digitally while expanding access to financial services among the people they serve.
The arrangement could also give NGOs a digital option for handling payments to beneficiaries and staff, while providing community groups with tools to pool savings and access loans within their own groups.