Botswana Post, Choppies in social grants payment deal

In a bid to continue diversifying its portfolio, BotswanaPost has expanded its Smart Partnerships model which has seen the introduction of Choppies as an extension of our channel to offer PosoMoney, payments of Social Grants and other postal services.

Initially introduced in 2011 with the ‘Icon of Excellence’ strategy, this model has seen the Post grow from being solely a postal operator, to an innovative powerhouse that is progressive within and outside its field, with a vast footprint even in the most rural areas of the country. This model has also seen the Company grow from a loss-making entity to a P6.2m profit before tax in 2019.

In partnering with Choppies to expand channels, BotswanaPost will be able to tap into their branch network of over 90 stores countrywide, thus continuing to bring the Post ever closer to communities. Increasing access points for postal services by using the ‘Multichannel Access Approach’ will circumvent the added costs of setting up brick d mortar structures. Extending beyond the newly introduced collection of Social Grants and PosoMoney, BotswanaPost’s partnership will also include the setting up of Postal Kiosks in select Choppies stores across the country.

The COVID-19 era has made paramount the need to decongest post offices, especially during peak periods. The need to comply with the social distancing protocols and guidelines, and putting the health and safety of customers first, necessitated the rolling out of pay points for Social Grants to both Choppies and PosoMoney. This will, with time, also see the introduction of a near-field communication (NFC) enabled VISA Card for pensioners and other Social Grants recipients. This move will enable other shops, from large retailers to small general dealers, to be able to benefit from this Government programme as purchases are also made at their stores. 

BotswanaPost endeavours to continue to explore ways of easing the collection of Social Grants and where possible, also engage other retailers in subsiding goods for the elderly and other beneficiaries.