Mukuru launches a Visa Companion Card that lets Botswana users pay straight from their Wallet
Mukuru has launched its Visa-branded Companion Card in Botswana, allowing customers to make cashless payments directly from their Mukuru Wallet balance without needing a traditional bank account.
Linked to the Mukuru Wallet, the physical card enables customers to pay for everyday expenses such as groceries, transport, utilities, school fees and online purchases wherever Visa is accepted.
The launch is aimed at expanding access to digital payments in Botswana, where mobile connectivity is high but a significant proportion of adults remain outside the formal banking system. Botswana has a mobile penetration rate of about 166%, with approximately 4.21 million mobile connections serving a population of 2.54 million. Despite this level of connectivity, an estimated 38% of adults remain unbanked.
The Mukuru Companion Card allows customers to spend money already held in their Wallet without first transferring funds to another account. Mukuru said this could reduce customers’ reliance on cash and the need to visit cash-out points.
“Our customers already trust the Mukuru Wallet to manage their money. The Companion Card gives them a new, practical way to use it; so paying for groceries or topping up airtime is as easy as swiping a card, without ever needing to visit a branch or carry cash,” said Thembani Moyo, Country Manager for Mukuru Botswana.
The card includes several security features, including a customer PIN for transactions and Visa’s 3D Secure authentication for online purchases. Customers can also block or stop the card through their phones if it is lost or misplaced.
Visa Botswana Country Manager Amon Magunje said the launch would help connect more consumers to secure digital payments and the wider Visa network.
“This is about strengthening what the Mukuru Wallet can do for our customers. We’re building a financial services brand around real, everyday needs, helping customers manage, move, and spend their money securely, and on their own terms.” Commented Andy Jury, Group CEO of Mukuru
The physical card works alongside the digital Wallet, giving customers another way to use their available balance for everyday payments at Visa-accepting merchants.
