NAIROBI, November 26 – Zain Kenya Managing Director Renee Mezza says his company is unfazed with the increasing competition in the mobile industry sector.
Mr Mezza said on Wednesday that his company’s increased marketing initiatives were contributing to the dynamism being experienced in the sector.
“We have brought down prices, increased our subscriber base and are now controlling at least 40 percent of the corporate client base in the telecom industry,” he said.
Mr Mezza made these sentiments on the eve of the launch of Econet\’s mobile service under the brand name ‘Yu’ as Zain signed a partnership with Gulf African Bank that will see the bank’s customers accessing communication at subsidised rates.
According to the deal, Gulf African bank customers will receive free sim cards and phones subject to the tariff plan they select.
Mr Mezza further disclosed that the agreement would facilitate easy and faster payment of bills for the bank’s post-paid customers.
“Post-paid customers will sign a direct debit for authorising the bank to automatically debit their accounts and forward the money to Zain directly,” he said.
Gulf bank Chief Executive Officer Najmul Hassan said the organisation had chosen Zain as a strategic partner due to the mobile phone company’s presence in 22 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
“Gulf African bank plans to have a strong presence internationally and we are confident that the one network platform provided by Zain will be instrumental in our business model,” Mr Hassan said.
Gulf African bank is on an aggressive expansion campaign, where the bank has opened seven branches in Nairobi, Mombasa and Garissa with further expansion planned across the country in 2009.
Mr Hassan said the regional expansion will target Tanzania, Uganda and Djibouti in the next five years.
