Zambian airtime distributor StreetCred (Zambia) Ltd. this week secured an exclusive partnership with Nomanini - a South African-based mobile point of sale service that specialises in facilitating cash transactions in informal markets.

Vahid Monadjem, CEO of Nomanini, comments: "We have been working with StreetCred for the past nine months or so, trialing and increasing the number of PoS terminals, and we are very pleased to enter into an exclusive partnership with them in Zambia."

Nomanini's cloud-based PoS system is gaining popularity across Africa, with active terminals processing a million cash transactions a month across South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Mozambique.

The solution was designed to be a more flexible and cost-effective version of the airtime scratchcard it replaces, as Monadjem explains: "Informal vendors can use the terminal to sell and print airtime vouchers as required, so there's no need for retailers to buy scratchcards in bulk and then worry about selling all the stock. And distributors don't need to print and deliver anything either. All that's required is a roll of till paper and the terminal, which can be used even when there's no internet access or electricity."

StreetCred plans to encourage Zambian mobile operators and airtime distributors to join it in switching to Nomanini's platform.

Prince Nyati, founder of StreetCred (Zambia) Ltd., comments: "Since we started operating in Zambia, it has become clear that this is the best product on the market today. The fact that it is truly mobile and built to physically withstand the rough operating requirements of the African market has made it easy for us to deploy it in locations that were previously not accessible to electronic voucher distributors (EVDs).

"The long battery life and car charger allow vendors to manage challenges associated with unreliable power supply and enable them to access remote markets.

"We are confident that this device will transform the airtime industry from a scratchcard-based market to an electronic one, and we are pleased to partner with Nomanini in its rollout in Zambia".

If all goes according to plan, StreetCred and Nomanini will look to extend their partnership to include the distribution of prepaid electricity vouchers in the very near future.

"Our platform is highly customisable, and can be modified to facilitate just about any cash transaction, including prepaid electricity and water, microloans, and even bus ticketing", says Monadjem.