Officials from PostBank, BoU, Housing Finance Bank, Pride Microfinance and other partners in a group photo after the launch of the Wendi Mobile Wallet
PostBank Uganda has launched its mobile wallet, Wendi, that promises to make financial inclusion a reality for all Ugandans.
The groundbreaking mobile wallet service is set to usher in a new era of financial empowerment for the unbanked and underserved population through the dynamic “Wona Wooli” campaign across Uganda.
The campaign line, ”Wona Wooli”, is a Luganda term coined to mean wherever you are. It speaks to Wendi’s convenience and availability to anyone who needs it wherever they are without having to go to the bank to sign up.
Speaking at the launch event held at Serena Hotel, Kampla on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, the Deputy Governor, Bank of Uganda (BoU), described Wendi as “a revolutionary mobile wallet.”
He said Wendi is poised to completely change how people conduct banking today.
“I am excited by this innovation by PostBank because it precisely reflects Bank of Uganda’s strategic objective of promoting financial inclusion in unbanked and underserved communities of Uganda,” Atingi-Ego said.
He added: “In order to advance financial inclusion, BoU has been deliberate in supporting innovations that expand access to financial services and financial inclusion in general. In the past 5 years, we’ve licensed 26 institutions as payment service providers and four (4) entities, including two banks, as payment service operators. Wendi is the newest kid on the block. In July, we granted PostBank a National Payment Systems license to operate as an issuer of electronic money and I am glad that the fruits are beginning to appear.”
The financial landscape in Uganda has long grappled with the challenge limiting access to essential financial services- for rural communities.
According to the National Labor Force Survey (2021), only 6% of Uganda’s population had bank accounts whereas 17% of Ugandans preferred to save on their mobile phones which they see to be more convenient.
It is in light of this that the visionary PostBank initiative has resulted in Wendi, a mobile wallet that promises to redefine the game’s rules.
Accessible through Google Play, the App Store, or the USSD code *229#, Wendi ensures that financial inclusion is within everyone’s reach.
Speaking at the same event, Julius Kakeeto, the CEO of PostBank Uganda,said Wendi is more than just a mobile wallet; it’s a financial lifeline for the masses, investment clubs, and SACCOs.
“It simplifies bill payments, including those for UMEME, National Water, and school fees, as well as withdrawals, deposits, fund transfers, and digital savings for groups & individuals. Wendi is set to revolutionize financial services in Uganda,” Kakeeto said.
He added: “PostBank is indebted to the government of Uganda, our shareholder, and our regulator, for providing resources and a supportive regulatory framework to help us launch Wendi.”
He added that a number of banks have expressed interest in embracing Wendi, noting that if all banks take it up, it will lower their operational costs and lead to reduced interest rates in the long run.
Andrew Kabeera, the PostBank Executive Director, said “With Wendi, every Ugandan can effortlessly convert their phone number into an account number, granting them remote access to essential banking services.”
He added that the strength of Wendi lies in its robust and secure technology, enabling users to self-onboard and undergo instant verification using their Ugandan national ID, ensuring a seamless and secure experience.
Once registered, he said, Wendi users can seamlessly execute a broad spectrum of financial transactions.
“Savings with Wendi accrue daily interest and facilitate peer-to-peer transfers, bank deposits, and withdrawals. Through strategic partnerships with MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, Pride Microfinance and Housing finance, this all-encompassing mobile wallet is poised to become an indispensable part of everyday life for countless Ugandans,” he said.
It has been revealed that six more banks have expressed interest in embracing the Wendi platform.
Kabeera said 350,000 people have been on-boarded on the Wendi platform in the last two months. These are mainly beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) program being implemented by the Government. The program aims to bring the 39% of Uganda’s population that is involved in subsistence farming into the money economy.
In an exclusive interview with Business Focus on the sidelines of the Wendi launch, Vijay Kanumuru, the Executive Director at Sybyl Uganda Limited, said that Sybyl partnered with Huawei Technologies to provide the technology for the Wendi platform.
He noted that Sybyl has for the last 15 years offered PostBank a number of solutions in the IT space.
Asked about how secure the Wendi platform is, Kanumuru said: “It is extremely secure. Wendi is one of the most secure platforms in the world. The technology deployed is the same platform which runs in Safaricom and the M-Pesa platform which is one of the leading mobile money providers not only in Africa but the world. This is a time tested developed platform.”
In banking and financial services space, Sybyl offers several IT solutions including ATMs, internet banking and cyber security solutions among others.
Other partners in attendance of the Wendi mobile wallet launch event included the Managing Director, Huawei Technologies, Xie Quixiang and Col. Fred Onatta, the CEO Wazalendo.
The event was also graced by the Director National Payments Systems, BoU, Mackay Oumo, the Director, Financial Services, BoU, Richard Byrarugaba and the Commissioner Financial Services, Moses Ogwapus.
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