The leading pan-African Banking Group, Ecobank Group, has simplified collections across Africa through “RapidCollect™” to enable the bank’s business customers to receive payments from their clients in their home country and across Ecobank’s network of 33 affiliates instantly and at a lower cost than any other current cross-border solution.
RapidCollect™ caters to business customers' needs across Africa, as the
continent is at a unique point in its history.
Immense trade, investment and economic growth opportunities are driven by the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s creation of a single African
market. The Economic Commission for Africa has forecast that the AfCFTA will
boost intra-African trade by about 40%.
Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Ecobank said “with
the African Continental Free Trade Area offering untold trading growth
opportunities for Africa’s businesses, it is imperative that the payment and
collection infrastructure proactively caters for the needs of our continent’s
small and medium-sized businesses by facilitating their cross-border trade.
“Ecobank’s Rapid-Collect™ further advances our determination to remove
intra-African trade barriers by providing a fast, innovative, secure,
hassle-free and reliable collection solution for our SME customers which
leverages the collective scale and strength of our 33-country pan-African
network”.
Isaac Kamuta, Group Head, Payment services, Cash Management and client access,
Ecobank Group added that “the launch of RapidCollect reaffirms our leadership
as the Best Bank for Cash Management in Africa. It provides a fast, innovative,
secure, and reliable solution for our customers which leverages the collective
scale and strength of our 33-country pan-African network.
“Our customers only need an Ecobank account in their home country – rather than
needing an account in every country where they trade. It removes the delays
inherent in cross-border business payments and addresses the issues created by
fluctuating forex rates.”
Through RapidCollect, Ecobank’s Commercial Banking and Corporate and Investment
Banking customers benefit from the convenience of one account to receive
business payments hassle-free from across a 33-country network, instant
payments into their Ecobank account in their home country and across the bank’s
network; automated reconciliation for our businesses with capabilities to
integrate their billing system, secured transactions via Ecobank’s tried and
trusted technology and also easier cross-border payments to seize opportunities
from the AfCFTA’s continent-wide single market
According to Ecobank Group, RapidCollect is available at Ecobank branches and
it is already integrated into their digital channels; adding that the solution
is subject to the regulations in each country.
Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline.com