Digital financial services platform Wari has integrated with WhatsApp Business solution to offer customers more widespread access.

According to a statement issued by Wari, customers can access the service via WhatsApp to open accounts, top-up balances, send and receive money, purchase airtime and make payments.

Wari said over 1-billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp to communicate and this formed the basis of the decision to integrate.

The WhatsApp service is available in several languages including French, English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, with Russian and Arabic coming soon.

Kabirou Mbodje, Wari President and CEO, said, "We have been working for several months to globalise our platform through strategic acquisitions and partnerships on all continents. We are always aiming to create a standard to interconnect people in all countries and to make financial inclusion a reality, thus building tomorrow's world."

Wari adds that the business solution places it "in a great position in the digital, social integration space on the international stage."

Mbodje says that plans to expand the digital offering have always been on the cards. "We are steadily and decisively pursuing our development of wide-ranging services and distribution channels," he said.

"This new partnership with WhatsApp further confirms our strategic goal of ensuring our key services are accessible to the masses through a digital evolution," concludes Mbodje.