adminBank at the recently held marketers convention hosted by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe.
PSI’s Male Circumcision campaign was the first runner up.
Handing out the prize, the Marketers Association acknowledged that PSI’s marketing efforts on health issues such as male circumcision are impacting positively on the general populace in Zimbabwe.
Kingdom CellCard – Cardless
withdrawal
Kingdom Bank has a track record of pioneering innovations that offer customers unparalleled convenience and banking experience. It was the first to launch Forex POS devices and the first Rand Dispensing ATMs and finally the first real mobile money solution Kingdom CellCard in December 2010.
Kingdom’s quest to out-innovate is therefore unquestionable and the track record is remarkable.
Kingdom CellCard became the reference of banking to all Zimbabweans because it offers a mobile bank wallet /account that enables one to transact outside the banking hall on a mobile phone and a card using multiple channels that include registered merchants, banking halls and the internet.
For the first time in Zimbabwe owners of retail outlets were able to process banking transactions effectively running their own branches of Kingdom Bank while account holders enjoyed 24hrs access to their funds from where ever there are.
The account is a low cost bank account and for one to open it they simply need a need to have an ID or birth certificate and a minimum of US$3, no need for proof of residence.
To date over 200 000 active Zimbabweans have a CellCard account and they are more than 200 merchants where people can access their money and enjoy the service.
In July 2011 Kingdom bank launched another exciting new innovation on the Kingdom CellCard platform that is, Cardless withdrawal transaction.
Cardless withdrawal transaction enables CellCard account holders and non-CellCard account holders to withdraw cash from automated teller machines without a card.
This development came into Zimbabwe through Kingdom Bank barely after it being launched in South Africa two months earlier and therefore is the second in Africa. The Cardless functionality generates a secret code that is only usable once for a particular transaction, thereafter, that secret code becomes useless.
The objective of this innovation was to bring more convenience to the market and to enable every person to get access to their cash 24 hours.
PSI: The Male Circumcision
Communication Campaign
The communications campaign promoting male circumcision for HIV prevention was launched in April this year.
The campaign which was developed by PSI Zimbabwe with the support of USAID and technical leadership from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare features popular local reggae artist, “Winky D,” who wrote and performed two songs on male circumcision.
Winky D’s songs promote male circumcision as a fashionable service for young men who care about their outward appearance and aspire to be as successful as the reggae artist himself in their chosen careers.
One phase of the promotional campaign, with the music, was aimed specifically at 13 to 21 year-olds and their parents. This phase also included activities with secondary schools and colleges.
Another part of the promotional campaign was developed for general audiences in the community. During this campaign period outreach services were also provided in rural and urban areas through mobile teams of health workers and the number of boys and young men getting circumcised more than doubled.
The male circumcision campaigns on radio and television are complimented by small group discussions, drama and music and dance in schools and the communities.
Sensitisation of traditional community leaders such as chiefs and headmen as well as religious leaders, school headmasters and teachers has also contributed to the overwhelming demand and uptake of the male circumcision services in areas where the service is offered.
Over 7 000 school boys were circumcised during the April school holiday campaign while 13 000 boys and men were circumcised during a similar campaign in August and September. To date, over 41 000 males have been circumcised.
Male Circumcision improves hygiene, has 60 percent protection from HIV and reduced risk of cervical and penile cancers.
Based on the successful campaigns, the MOHCW, PSI and other partners intend to conduct a similar campaign in December to mark the World Aids Day and create awareness and demand for male circumcision services.
Online Reporter