MalCOM to introduce Charge Card in Malawi

MalCOM Limited –Malawi, a newly established owned ICT driven company wholly owned by Malawians, will be introducing an employee charge card which company executives and salaried employees will be using to pay for goods and services with no interest charges.

Francis Kajumo-Malcom Chairman
Francis Kajumo-Malcom Chairman

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has authorized the company to translate the concept into a business venture and MalCOM Limited has already received an endorsement from the Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA), according to Chairman of MalCOM Limited Francis Kajumo.

Kajumo is a graduate of the University of Malawi and is based in Washington DC., where he works as a biomedical research scientist

The card, branded MobiMax Charge Card, will be fully operational once the company has complied with the final requirements of procedures that essentially constitute a pilot program.

Kajumo said in an interview yesterday that employers will be issuing the card to their employees who will be allowed to use credit of up to 30 percent of their salary and shall repay their liabilities through payroll deductions.

“The MobiMax Charge Card will work in such a way that a company can give this card to employees, as a fringe benefit, to use to pay for goods and services, more especially during mid month crises and repay the amount they have used  through  deduction from their next salary.”

“The card will allow employees to use credit of up to 30 percent of their salaries because we realize that there are sometimes when money is very tight, especially during the lean mid month period and when an employee has a crisis, then the employee can use the charge card as a convenient, safe and secure option instead of borrowing money,” explained Kajumo.

He said the charge card will also work to the advantages of companies in terms of monitoring expenditures. MalCOM Limited shall offer two types of cards; a personal and corporate card and with the corporate card a distinct audit trail allows the company to control expenditures.

The MalCOM administrative software platform ensures security by monitoring and managing credit limits, secure usage, and auditing on real time basis.

“A company can just set a limit for allowances and other expenses for their employees who are going out of station for work and the employees can use the card to buy fuel, pay for accommodation and food and it is easier for a company to monitor and audit transactions through this card,” said Kajumo.

He said the card will attract no interest but will attract transactional fees (similar to ATM charges) and an optional SMS charge if a card holder chooses to subscribe to get SMS whenever the card is used for a transaction.

Kajumo said MalCOM Limited has engaged several retailers and services providers and will provide them their Point of Sale Devices (POS) that will be maintained by the company for the service of MobiMax Charge Card holders.

“We have engaged retailers like supermarkets, service stations and service providers like doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, and utility providers as our anchor customers to spread the MalCOM service footprint,” said Kajumo.

He said the MobiMax Charge Card has numerous advantages because it provides for secure cashless transactions, convenient and reliable since card holders will be using security PINS.

“Corporations can avoid on (dubious and unaccounted for) cash allowances to employees and the card may be used anywhere where a MobiMax device is available and since we will be using GPRS for connectivity to our POS, one will be assured of at least 80 percent MobiMax availability of our POS devices throughout the country,” said Kajumo.

“The country will benefit because there will be reduced costs of managing currency by the Reserve Bank of Malawi since the service will increase cashless transactions,” explained Kajumo.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
31 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
dunstain
dunstain
9 years ago

Without a credit rating sysytem it is very hard to issue credit cards except to very few valued customersin Malawi who pay an arm and a leg in interest rates! The ordinary person does not have access to this kind of financial instrument to purchase goods on a credit system- so i guess this serves the purpose. As for online purchases is there any online retailers in Malawi? Any foreign purchases from online retailers would need to be backed by forex-not so?? or perhaps a FCDA with dollar deposits? because you certainly will not be buying the goods in kwachas!

Wailing Soul
Wailing Soul
9 years ago
Reply to  dunstain

Dunstain, I do not know when you left Malawi or whether you once worked in Malawi before you left the country. This is not for online purchases. Its a plastic version of salary advance to let you but groceries etc from the likes of PTC, Shoprite, those shops that have card readers. As simple as that. So instead of the employees getting cash, the money will be in form of a card. Plastic money. The target market is the the middle to lower bracket end because the top bracket have credit cards etc. The economic terrain is not that conducive… Read more »

INEYO
INEYO
9 years ago

A good development though it seems only locally usage.

womenslib
womenslib
9 years ago

Can you buy stuff online with this card? If not it’s garbage. Malawi is so behind the rest of the planet it’s not even funny. Issue regular credit and debit cards with Visa or Mastercard logos that can be used anywhere in the world and online then we can talk.

hotlips
hotlips
9 years ago
Reply to  womenslib

I think you do not know what you are talking about. Credit cards survive on interest charges, at the rate Malawi is going the credit card interest would be in excess of 90%, who can afford that? This is the best solution for an economy like Malawi

womenslib
womenslib
9 years ago
Reply to  hotlips

Do you really think allowing people to borrow against future salaries isn’t going to come with interest? Really? I would rather have a credit card and pay it back little by little on time than borrow against a future salary and end up collecting a pay check of 10 kwachan plus whatever interest they are not disclosing at the end of the month.

Wailing Soul
Wailing Soul
9 years ago
Reply to  womenslib

Talk about credit cards and talk about the United States and the credit crunch. I’d rather have this system that live your life in repaying a bank through a credit card. I ve lived in the US before for many years. Credit cards are hell. In actual fact, people work to re-pay mortgages and credit card bills until they die. They die with one house which may evene be sold to pay for nursing home bills by their kids. What a life. Paying credit card bills is like living on katapila for ever

phyllis
phyllis
9 years ago
Reply to  womenslib

Only banks and financial institutions are authorised by RBM to charge interest so this company does not fall within that category and can only charge transcation fees.

Wailing Soul
Wailing Soul
9 years ago
Reply to  womenslib

I think you ought to re-read the story. Its not for online shopping. Its for local purchases. It’s for locals to take a bit from their salary in advance and buy local commodities.

mabedi
mabedi
9 years ago

Credit cards charge a lot of interest and this article says there is no interest charged on the things bought. That is a huge difference! Interest rates are very high in Malawi – why cant the govt do something about this?

bauleni
bauleni
9 years ago

It seems very innovative- lets wait and see how it works

Wa Liverpool
Wa Liverpool
9 years ago

What about govt institutions

Alembi
Alembi
9 years ago

Please pangani explain bwino. Kodi 30% ya wages ya employee will go ku America?

Wodzichepetsa
Wodzichepetsa
9 years ago

Nthawi yathadi sure 666 ija simenei? mahule tizialipilanso choncho?

chims
chims
9 years ago

end times indeed.so that those without the mark(card)should not buy or sell.

Bishop
Bishop
9 years ago

Beware of the evil schemers, dressed in sheep’s clothing. LORD, GIVE MALAWI UNDERSTANDING

Read previous post:
Protect children’s rights, keep them in school: Malawi govt, church leaders challenged

Blantyre Archdiocese children have called on government and Church leaders to take a deliberate effort in protecting and safeguarding the...

Close