Waafi by Salaam Bank Taps Paymentology to Enable Somalia’s Contactless Payment Vision

Share this post

Paymentology, the leading global issuer-processor, proudly announces its partnership with Salaam Bank’s Waafi for the launch of its co-branded tokenised tap-to-pay digital companion card and physical card for Waafi mobile app users in the Horn of Africa—a first for the region.  

Waafi is a mobile money app born from the collaboration between Salaam Bank, a leading financial institution in East Africa and Hormuud, extending to Telesom, and Golis, a leading telecom provider in Somalia. The mobile money app offers communications, entertainment, and payment functionalities intending to promote a digital lifestyle and a cashless society. Waafi has now become a full-fledged digital bank with the extension of its card offering to leverage Paymentology’s issuing processing platform. 

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the region’s financial landscape, introducing digital and contactless payments through Waafi by Salaam Bank’s digital-first initiative. The co-brand partnership with the Waafi mobile app offers users the opportunity to open an account digitally, create a digital Mastercard card, link the card to a wallet or account, tokenize the card on a digital device, and make contactless payments at ease. 

As the country continues to move towards a cashless society, with more than two-thirds of all payments in Somalia made via mobile money platforms, Salaam Bank’s Waafi is set to revolutionise how payments are made, providing a seamless, secure, and efficient payment solution.  

The digital-first launch signifies a pivotal step towards embracing modern financial technology in the region. By leveraging Paymentology’s next-generation payments technology, this partnership ensures users can experience the convenience and security of digital banking and contactless payments. They can do more with their mobile money and get access to in-store payment, travel and international payment capabilities.  

Kirsten Wortmann, regional director for Africa, commented: “Mobile and digital wallets play a crucial role in the financial ecosystem in Somalia. Powering Waafi’s digital money app exemplifies our commitment to advancing financial technology in fast-developing markets. We are excited to bring the first digital card to the Horn of Africa, paving the way for a future where digital and contactless payments are the norm.”

Abdiqani Hariir Ismail, deputy general manager at Dara-salaam Bank, added: “The digital-first initiative is a testament to Salaam Bank’s dedication to innovation and customer-centric solutions in the East Africa region. Through our collaboration with Paymentology and MeaWallet, we provide our Waafi customers with a next-generation, secure, and convenient payment solution that meets their evolving needs.”

 

PMTGY-LOGO-NAVY-1
Article by Paymentology

More To Explore

Membership

Merchant Community Membership

Are you a member of The Payments Association?

Member benefits include free tickets, discounts to more tickets, elevated brand visibility and more. Sign in to book tickets and find out more.

Welcome

Log in to access complimentary passes or discounts and access exclusive content as part of your membership. An auto-login link will be sent directly to your email.

Having trouble signing?

We use an auto-login link to ensure optimum security for your members hub. Simply enter your professional work e-mail address into the input area and you’ll receive a link to directly access your account.

First things first

Have you set up your Member account yet? If not, click here to do so.

Still not receiving your auto-login link?

Instead of using passwords, we e-mail you a link to log in to the site. This allows us to automatically verify you and apply member benefits based on your e-mail domain name.

Please click the button below which relates to the issue you’re having.

I didn't receive an e-mail

Tip: Check your spam

Sometimes our e-mails end up in spam. Make sure to check your spam folder for e-mails from The Payments Association

Tip: Check “other” tabs

Most modern e-mail clients now separate e-mails into different tabs. For example, Outlook has an “Other” tab, and Gmail has tabs for different types of e-mails, such as promotional.

Tip: Click the link within 60 minutes

For security reasons the link will expire after 60 minutes. Try submitting the login form again and wait a few seconds for the e-mail to arrive.

Tip: Only click once

The link will only work one time – once it’s been clicked, the link won’t log you in again. Instead, you’ll need to go back to the login screen and generate a new link.

Tip: Delete old login e-mails

Make sure you’re clicking the link on the most recent e-mail that’s been sent to you. We recommend deleting the e-mail once you’ve clicked the link.

Tip: Check your security policies

Some security systems will automatically click on links in e-mails to check for phishing, malware, viruses and other malicious threats. If these have been clicked, it won’t work when you try to click on the link.

Need to change your e-mail address?

For security reasons, e-mail address changes can only be complete by your Member Engagement Manager. Please contact the team directly for further help.

Still got a question?