Another MobiPay contract expires

FOLLOWING the termination of its contract with MultiChoice Namibia in June this year, MobiPay has also seen its other contract with the City of Windhoek expiring.

The city’s communications department said their contract with MobiPay expired at the end of July already. Its other contract for the payment of bills through NamPost had then ended in September.

In a ‘notice of termination’ sent out to the media this week, the City of Windhoek says MobiPay had not been receiving payments from members of the public for municipal bills since then.

“We want to encourage our clients to make use of our other payment options at all municipal council cash halls, as well as direct deposits/internet banking via all commercial banks,” reads the city’s public notice.

The City of Windhoek has invited new bids, and will inform residents of any new payment options shortly.

The new development ending MobiPay’s contract with the municipality appears to be a severe blow to the company.

In July, reported that MultiChoice abruptly terminated the contract with MobiPay Namibia in favour of Airtime City, a company owned by the Westair Group.

MultiChoice Namibia has had an agreement with MobiPay Namibia since 2011 for clients to pay their accounts through their mobile platforms and offices.

That marriage was suddenly stopped in June this year. MultiChoice Namibia and Airtime City announced on 2 August that they had formed a partnership, which will allow DStv and GOtv customers to make real-time payments at Airtime City vending machines nationwide.

MobiPay’s Amos Shiyuka did not respond to detailed questions, but confirmed that both NamPost and MobiPay’s contracts ended on the dates indicated in the notice.

“As part of the new Procurement Act, the City of Windhoek has to go back into the market to advertise and get bids from all the players in the industry, and this will not exclude NamPost and MobiPay from participating and submitting our new bids,” said Shiyuka.

City of Windhoek spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya confirmed to that the MobiPay contract had ended.

“We are inviting new bids as the contract has ended,” she said.