The collaboration between the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and MTN Fintech Eswatini (MoMo) is one of the most impactful humanitarian innovations implemented by the country.
National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Victor Mahlalela appreciated the strategic partnership they have with MTN MoMo which they have built over the years.
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Reacting during the MoMo Business Forum Cocktail held at Malandela’s, he gave a testimonial of how the MoMo platform had benefitted them.
Representing the humanitarian sector, he said he was also representing a number of stakeholders that use MoMo platform for humanitarian services.
Mahlalela said during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the nation faced unprecedented health risk and movement restrictions were implemented by the government, the NDMA had to find a safe, fast and scalable way to reach vulnerable communities through the innovative MoMo platform.
He said they were able to achieve exactly that, having delivered a transfer to over 100 000 households nationwide, reaching over half a million people in the country which is almost 50% of the country’s population.
He also said the total value of the sample exceeded over E200 million making it one of the most significant digital humanitarian programmes in Eswatini’s history.
“This partnership delivered speed with payment processing coming within hours rather than days, safety by minimising physical contact during a health emergency, dignity by allowing households to prioritise their most urgent needs, and transparency with secure and traceable and accountable transactions. This is a clear example of what can be achieved when national institutions and leading private sector partners work together with a shared purpose.’’
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‘‘Beyond supporting households, our partnership also became a critical tool as NDMA for strengthening community-level engagement and economic activity,” he said.
He further revealed that NDMA relied heavily on community volunteers who play a significant role in disaster response.
He said this was from assessment, data collection, relief distribution and support at chiefdom level through the MoMo platform, which became the tool for change.
Mahlalela said the contribution was recognised and supported in improving community participation in disaster response by reducing payment delays and administration burdens.
In addition, he said the partnership had enabled them to pay local suppliers including providers they work with at community level in their recovery programmes, transporters that they obtain at community level and other financial services that they get at community level who support their recovery work.
Mahlalela said this has helped strengthen their local businesses, improve cash flow in communities and ensured that disaster response activities benefit local economies.
In many ways, he said MoMo has not only enabled them to respond to crises, but it has also helped them to build a stronger, more resilient community from the ground up.
“As MoMo celebrates their achievements, I want to acknowledge the MoMo team and the entire Fintech staff for the work they have done in helping us reach communities making it possible for families to access food, medicine and essential goods. Your systems enable volunteers and suppliers to be paid quickly and fairly, and your support helps us protect lives and livelihoods when it matters the most. So on behalf of the National Disaster Management Agency and the government, we would like to congratulate you for that,” added Mahlalela.
Through the collaboration with MTN including everyone in communication through mobile channels, he said they had gained from the cash paid support during future shocks, digital accountability, a feedback mechanism and digital financial inclusion for vulnerable communities.
He said the foundation they had built together was strong and positive, positioning the country as a starting point in digital humanitarian innovation.
“NDMA values your partnership deeply. We appreciate your professionalism, collaboration, and your commitment to serving the people of Eswatini. Congratulations to the entire team and to the CEO for the impact you continue to make in communities,” he said.
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