By Sizwe Dlamini
Eswatini Bank Managing Director (MD), Nozizwe Mulela, has officially announced the rollout of ShareSha Banking – a new service aimed at bringing banking closer to communities through a network of locally based agents.
Mulela made the announcement at the Eswatini Bank Auditorium yesterday when introducing the fourth group of agents.
The MD emphasized that this initiative enhances Eswatini Bank’s digital wallet service, ShareSha, which was initially launched in late 2023.
“ShareSha Banking is designed to eliminate the need for customers to travel to ATMs or branches by providing convenient banking services right at their doorsteps through a growing network of agents spread across the country. To date, Eswatini Bank has onboarded over 60 agents, with more agents to be trained in the future,” she said.
Mulela highlighted that ShareSha Banking is designed to support financial inclusion in Eswatini. She pointed out that the service provides a secure alternative to storing money at home.
Customers can now deposit their funds with a nearby agent, ensuring the safety of their money. Additionally, ShareSha Banking offers a comprehensive mobile payment solution, enabling seamless deposits and withdrawals, payments, account openings, bill payments such as electricity, and the use of the scan-to-pay feature.
Nhlanhla Magagula from the Eswatini Bank Ebanking Unit provided a further comprehensive overview of ShareSha Banking, emphasizing its role in promoting financial inclusion and accessibility across Eswatini.
Magagula explained that ShareSha Banking is designed to make banking easier and more accessible, particularly for people who may have faced barriers to traditional banking.
One of the key advantages of ShareSha Banking is that it reduces the stringent requirements typically associated with opening a bank account. Customers can now access ShareSha through the Eswatini Bank App, available for both Android and iOS devices.
For those without smartphones, ShareSha Banking is also accessible via USSD (*656#), ensuring that even individuals with basic phones can use the platform.
Magagula also highlighted the convenience of ShareSha, explaining that it is essentially a digital wallet that any customer can use.
Those without Eswatini Bank accounts can register for ShareSha using only their IDs, with the registration process available via the app. Once registered, users can easily perform a variety of transactions, such as checking their account balances and accessing mini-statements for their last ten transactions. They can also request a full statement or transfer money to Eswatini Bank account holders.
Magagula also explained the process for onboarding local agents to the ShareSha platform. He emphasized the importance of thorough training for agents, which covers customer service, product knowledge, and a walkthrough of the ShareSha Banking app.
Each agent is provided with essential tools to ensure they deliver high-quality services. Agents must complete application forms, undergo site visits to confirm their operational locations, sign Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and be fully onboarded onto the system before offering services.
Buhle Dlamini, one of the ShareSha agents from Kancesi, located on the outskirts of Pigg’s Peak, expressed her gratitude for the product’s benefits in her community.
She highlighted that one of the key factors that make ShareSha appealing is its low charges, which attract people in the area. “What makes people come to the product is that it has fewer charges than other offerings on the market,” Dlamini explained.
She also shared that ShareSha has made a significant impact in her area, especially when it comes to paying school fees. “We’ve seen people in our area being able to pay school fees in Pigg’s Peak. This has been a great convenience for many of our customers,” she said.
Dlamini also expressed gratitude for the continuous support from Eswatini Bank, saying that when the provider of a product actively supports its agents, it strengthens the agents’ ability to succeed. “When the person who has given you the product supports you, then we on the ground are very happy. It helps us see the way forward,” Dlamini added.