Mastercard has worked with the Zanzibar e-Government Agency (eGAZ) to back and speed up the island’s ambitious digital transformation journey.
This will make it possible for different industries on the Zanzibar islands, like tourism, to use digital payments, which will greatly help the economy grow.
H.E. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, led the launch of the Zanzibar Digital Government Strategy for 2023–2027, where the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed.
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The deal is Mastercard’s first MoU in line with Zanzibar’s Digital Economy Blueprint and Roadmap for Digital Transformation. The strategy aims to build a strong digital economy in Zanzibar that protects digital systems, drives innovative information, communication, and technology solutions, and trains digital governance, which will transform public services.
Mastercard will provide technical assistance to the Zanzibar government for three years. This includes creating a digital transformation team, partnering with ZanMalipo to facilitate digital payments, and distributing two million government cards to simplify services and travel.
Mastercard and the Zanzibar e-Government Agency share goals, so they collaborate. This will power a digital economy that benefits all Zanzibaris. Shehryar Ali, Mastercard’s Country Manager for East Africa, said it shows how important digitization is and builds on Mastercard’s global experience in enabling digital transformation, fostering cross-sector collaboration, fueling economic growth, and making financial and digital inclusion easier.
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Mastercard solutions will include Mastercard Payment Gateway Services (MPGS), which lets merchants accept a wide range of payment methods, such as mobile payments, credit cards, and e-wallets. Priceless.com will also highlight the many benefits for consumers that will help the economy grow.
The leaders of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar are working to create the conditions for a pan-African digital economy, which would encourage innovation, trade, and investment in the United Republic of Tanzania and the wider area.
“This partnership shows that we are committed to using innovative technologies to improve service performance. We think that by working with Mastercard, a trusted partner, we can significantly speed up the implementation of our digital plan and give our citizens a lot of benefits,” said Said Seif Said, Managing Director of the Zanzibar e-Government Agency (eGAZ).
Zanzibar’s immediate goal is to build a fast and safe digital infrastructure for delivering services to citizens, tourists, and the business community. The island hopes to become a major player in the pan-African trade transformation journey. The people who will benefit the most from these efforts are the consumers, who will enjoy a more seamless, efficient, and inclusive digital environment.