Rabo Development is using mobile and branchless banking models to expand access to financial services in sub-Saharan Africa. They have launched several successful mobile banking programs through their partner banks in countries like Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Rwanda. These programs allow customers to access services like balance checks, money transfers, bill payments, and prepaid services directly from their mobile phones without needing to visit a traditional bank branch. For example, in Rwanda, Rabo Development helped automate all 191 branches of the largest bank, BPR, and launch a mobile banking program that now has over 150,000 customers.

1. Rabo Development &
Sustainable Distribution
How Rabo Development is Using Mobile, Branchless Banking Formulas to Change
Access to Financial Services in Sub-Saharan Africa
A few slides on mobile banking and payments within Rabo
Development partner banks.
Dan Armstrong, 28 September 2012

2. Rabobank Group World-Wide
Rabo Development
Rabo International - Wholesale
Rabobank Foundation
Rabo International – Retail & Wholesale
Rabobank Group
 48 countries, 59.000 employees
 Robeco, Sarasin, Orbay, Obvion, Interpolis,
Lage Landen, Athlon , etc.
 Main focus on food and agri-banking,
cooperative banking, and retail
Rabo Development
 Partner Banks: Brazil, Paraguay, Zambia,
Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique, China
 Projects: Egypt, Malaysia, Vietnam,
Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Malawi,
India, Botswana, Peru,. Cameroon, etc.
Key

3. Banking and Banking Usage Trends
Alternative
Traditional
Physical Virtual

4. Time
Banked
Customers
Distribution in Our Developing Markets

5. Some MFS Rabobank has launched in NL 2003-2012

6. Other Rabobank and Partner MFS Apps, Trials,
Products

7. But really, what do our developing markets expect from
a wallet?
 A place to store cash?
 A place to store payment
tokens?
 A place to store other tokens?
 A personal object?
 A private object?
 Something small enough to be
portable/mobile?
 … but … do people need a
physical object?

8. Then, what do our developing markets expect from a
transaction device?
 Identification of myself, my
rights and capabilities,
memberships.
 Identification of myself, an
authentication tool for payment.
 Secure, multi-factor
 Tamper-resistant/evident
 Personal and private
 Easy to use
 … but … do people need a
physical object?

12. Generating Successful Formulas
Target /
Addressable
Market
Does not want
the product
Potential users
Excluded by
design
Too poor
Excluded by
default
Does not have
access to the
product
Has access to
the product, but
does not use it
Based on: http://www.bankablefrontier.com/assets/pdfs/access-frontier-as-tool.pdf
Currently has /
uses another
financial product
Does not have /
use a financial
product

13.  40+ years of success, growth
and stability, successful
expansions, privatisation and
IPO
 650.000 customers, 1.200
employees, 50 branches
 Year-on-year profitability, K3
bln in assets, mature risk
management regime. Healthy
account portfolio including
retail, agricultural, SME and
corporates.
 Transformation to modern
banking tools: 100+ ATMs,
internet banking, mobile
banking
Zanaco

14.  Mobile Banking: Launched in
late 2008, USSD mobile
banking
• 250.000+ customers to-date
• 20+ bill payment partners,
prepaid airtime, etc., 21
transactions per month
 Light Account: Also, Xapit
‘account’ = welcome pack +
mobile banking + ATM card
 DSA: Sign-up for an account
and get mobile banking and
a VISA debit card in 5
minutes.
 Agency Banking: 123
ZamPost & 9 independent
agency locations
 Truck Banking: Zanaco
mobile banking vehicles
Xapit Instant Banking
*444#

15.  First Merchant Bank (Malawi)
• 19 branches, corporate and retail
banking, 600 employees,
growing strongly
• 1/11 commercial banks in Malawi
 FMB Mobile / FMB Fast
Account
• Launched summer of 2010,
75.000+ customers to-date
• Successful to-date – packaging
of ATM card, bank account and
mobile banking functionality
• *** Includes immediate (small)
balance on customers’ account,
facilitating usage of the new
product
FMB Fast Account

16.  NMB: National
Microfinance Bank Ltd.
• Also by-far the largest bank in
Tanzania
• 1.8 mln customers: regular
Tanzanians, all teachers,
army, etc.
• 400+ ATMs in place, most
customers have ATM cards
• 150 connected branches
(100%)
 However, as a former
government bank:
• Must handle bill payments,
salary dispersal and non-
customer transactions
• Major queue problems
Case Study: NMB Tanzania

20.  Dial *155*66# to access
 Features:
• Balance Inquiry
• Mini-Statement
• Money transfers to any NMB account
• Tanesco Luku Prepaid Electricity Purchase
• Vodacom and ZAIN Prepaid Airtime Top-Up
• NMB Services like ATM card block, settings
 No need to fill-in forms or visit an NMB
branch to sign-up, simply dial
*155*66*123#
 NMB mobile:
• Launched in August 2009
• 550.000+ active customers to-date
• All mobile networks, 100% nation-wide
coverage
• SMS Alerts to 220.000 customers monthly
NMB mobile – mobile banking
NMB mobile
1. Balance Enquiry
2. Mini-Statement
3. Money Transfer
4. Prepaid Services
5. Other Services
6. Help

21.  BPR (Banque Populaire du
Rwanda) is by far the largest
bank in Rwanda
• “Bank of the people” with roots in
cooperative and food/agri-banking
(>85% of Rwandans are farmers)
• 1,3 mln accounts
 In 2011, 47/191 BPR branch
banks were automated:
• Around 150 locations used paper
ledgers
• Staff may have had no previous
experience with computers
• Fraud and information integrity
are problems
• Customers can only bank at one
branch location
BPR Rwanda

22. Bank Branch: Rwanda
No power, internet connectivity

23. Bank Branch: Rwanda
Waiting for teller cash withdrawals

24. Bank Branch: Rwanda
Accounts prior to automation

25. Bank Branch: Rwanda
Teller

26. Bank Branch: Rwanda
Teller

27. BPR Mobile Banking
 “Project Columbus”
• Automated all 191 branches in 11
months
• Mobile internet (incl. USB modems,
laptops), power
• Data migration, training of staff and
customers, card distribution
 New BPR E-Channels
• BPR Mobile Banking
(launched 09/2010, 150.000+
customers to-date)
• BPR SMS Alerts
• BPR ATM Cards
• BPR QuickCash ATMs
• BPR Call Centre

28. BPR “Quickcash” ATMs
 Quickcash and ATM Cards
• 100 BPR ATMs online in 2011
throughout Rwanda (donated by
local Rabobanks)
• Increased ATM usage through new
marketing and promotions, usability
campaigns and POS roll-out
 New E-Banking Call Centre
• BPR call centre successful
operating, incl. ACD/call queue
system
• Inbound and outbound calling to
improve usage, sign-ups and
customer satisfaction
• 650-1.000 calls per day, service
level is 85%+

29. Mobile Banking
1. Balance Inquiry
2. Mini-Statement
3. Money Transfer (BPR Accounts)
4. Prepaid Airtime
• MTN
• Tigo (pending)
5. Bill Payments
• RECO Prepaid Electricity
• StarTimes Africa TV
• DStv
• MTN Postpaid Bill
• Tigo Postpaid Bill (pending)
6. Bank Services
• Change BPR Mobile Banking PIN
• Change Language
• Order Cheque Book
7. Help
BPR Mobile Banking

30. BPR Mobile Road Shows & Sign-up
Success

31. BPR Mobile Road Shows & Sign-up
Success

32. BPR: Simbuka

33. Thank You!
www.rabobank.nl
www.rabobank.com
Dan Armstrong, +31652085071
dan.armstrong@takashimobile.com