Digital security firm Gemalto plans to deploy prepaid EMV banking cards to complement Vodacom's MPesa mobile wallet service in South Africa.
EMV bank cards represent the global standard for credit and debit payment cards based on chip card technology.
The Netherlands headquartered company announced on Tuesday that the card links to MPesa accounts and gives users the freedom to make payments for goods and services without the need to carry cash.
The card is also accepted at any of the 240,000 EMV-compliant payment terminals and over 27,000 ATMs throughout the country, says a statement.
"Gemalto offered us the convenience of a fully packaged solution," said Herman Singh, managing executive of m-commerce at Vodacom.
Singh added, "By expanding our MPesa mobile wallet offering with the banking card, we've been able to add an entirely new level of functionality, which we think is critical to the success of MPesa in South Africa."
Also commenting on the partnership Thierry Mesnard, senior vice president for Africa at Gemalto said, "With this new project, Vodacom becomes the first mobile operator to initiate the large-scale rollout of an EMV banking card that is accepted anywhere."
"This innovative deployment highlights just how quickly the worlds of banking, retail and mobile communications are changing... Gemalto is glad to offer its support to this endeavour aimed at offering greater convenience, security and social inclusion," Mesnard concluded.
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