Mobile banking boom in Africa

MANILA, Philippines - Four countries in Africa reported 1.2 million mobile phone banking transactions per month, worth approximately R122 million and have processed more than R1.2 billion in the last year. Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Swaziland will soon be joined by Lesotho through the First National Bank (FNB). Botswana currently leads the pack, recording the highest number of mobile phone banking users, with 65 percent of FNB customers in the country using the service. It is followed by Namibia and Zambia at 47 percent, and Swaziland with 11 percent. The mobile phone banking service offered by FNB basically allows bank clients to transfer money from one account to another using their mobile phones.