In an Interview with KOOBONYE RAMOKOPELWA, Head, Global Transactional Services, at Access Bank Botswana, Akofang Kebonye converses on how the client's value chain is critical in their approach to global transactional services.
BOTSWANA GUARDIAN: How does Access Bank Botswana plan to enhance its global transactional services in the coming years, and what role does innovation play in that strategy?
AKOFANG KEBONYE: Access Bank Botswana’s Global Transactional Services strategy is anchored on solutioning for our clients and their holistic value chains. Our core focus facilitating seamless transactability in all respects, including physical and digital channels as well as value add services that enable our clients to receive payments from customers and pay suppliers locally and abroad. Innovation is critical for us to successfully achieve our objectives and this goes beyond the typical scope that predominantly focuses on technology. Our solutioning approach is entrenched in our clients operations and we work with our clients to ensure that the end product is tailored and closely matches their requirements. We enable our corporate and business clients to foster positive relationships with their suppliers, distributors and customers, including those in unbanked and underserved segments of the population and this is through a culture of continuous needs assessment and being innovative about the products we offer. Furthermore, we have a huge passion for education and capacity building our stakeholders about our innovative products and services. This allows us to help our customers to evolve from using traditional ways of doing business to adopting a modern and effective model of banking and reconciling.
GUARDIAN: What are the key areas you focus on to drive growth and expansion for Access Bank Botswana in the global transactional services sector?
KEBONYE: We focus on key sectors driving the economy and essentially follow the transactional flows across our client’s value chains. Some of the obvious key sectors would include Mining, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Construction as well as Oil and Gas to name a few. Our value chain-focused approach also enables us to support the SMME clients as well leveraging their relationships with established corporates. Our solutions ensure that SMME’s are able to replenish stock with ease through working capital solutions and are able to collect through a variety of convenient collections platforms.
GUARDIAN: With the rise of fintech and digital banking, how is Access Bank Botswana integrating technology into its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: We are constantly looking to innovate internally and through partnerships with different players in the market. Technology allows us to scale fast and reach as much of our customer base as possible within the shortest possible time. Our existing partnerships with various mobile wallets with Mobile Operating organisations such as Orange, Mascom and BTC as well as platforms like AccessMore for individual customers and upcoming Primus Plus are some of the ways we leverage technology to improve ease of transacting for our clients.
GUARDIAN: What strategies is Access Bank Botswana implementing to improve the customer experience in its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: From a customer experience, we prioritise platform accessibility, stability and uptime to facilitate ease of transacting. Our tailored funding solutions also enable our clients to have fast access to cash to settle transactions. With strong relationship and product teams and customer experience on hand to resolve any issues, clients can have the comfort and assurance of seamless transactional experience.
GUARDIAN: How does the bank ensure that its global transactional services cater to the specific needs of both local and international clients?
KEBONYE: Based on Access Bank group aspiration of being the gateway to Africa, we rely heavily on our deep understanding of our clients in the country and their value chains. Our presence in major global financial centres allows us to link our clients locally and internationally to critical markets and sources of capital and business prospects. By so doing we facilitate trade within countries and amongst countries in the continent under the auspices of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. Facilitating transactions in various African currencies allows trade channels to develop and grow and our clients to discover new markets and opportunities. This is a significant opportunity as intra-Africa trade is currently estimated to be less than 15% compared to well over 50% in places like Europe and Asia. This creates opportunities for value addition, processing, and manufacturing in various African countries, leading to opportunities for employment and economic growth. SMMEs and individuals alike can particularly harness these opportunities and the solutions that we have in place to facilitate trade and transactability within the continent are there to support clients.
GUARDIAN: How does the bank approach cybersecurity and data privacy in its global transactions to ensure the protection of customers' sensitive information?
KEBONYE: We are bound by all relevant legislation and regulations to protect our clients and their assets including data. Our end-to-end operations and systems are set-up in a way that ensures the highest compliance levels.
GUARDIAN: Are there any new or ongoing partnerships Access Bank Botswana is engaged in to enhance its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: We partner with our clients in various sectors for solutions in their value chains. We currently have partnerships in the Oil and Gas and Beverages subsectors such as the partnership we launched with Trans in 2024 to avail funding for their various Beverages distributors. We are constantly engaging with clients to refine our offerings to better suit their needs.
GUARDIAN: What differentiates Access Bank Botswana from its competitors in providing global transactional services, and how does this advantage contribute to the bank's success?
KEBONYE: Our main differentiator is the ecosystem approach towards our clients. We do not solution just for the customer in front of us, but we look at their value chains and other stakeholders. This total solutioning allows us to be a meaningful partner to our clients and to build long term sustainable relationships. Our teams comprise of smart, enthusiastic, and talented individuals who constantly analyse the competition, international trends to identify new technologies and the latest ways of banking. With innovation at the heart of everything we do, there is no problem that is too big or too small, if it’s important to our client it is important to us and we will continuously create and refine until we establish fit for purpose solutions.
GUARDIAN: What emerging global trends do you see impacting transactional banking services over the next five to ten years?
KEBONYE: Increased digitalisation including adoption of distributed ledger technologies continues to create opportunities for improvements in efficiency and liberalisation of markets especially in trade finance. We are also seeing entry and growth of non-traditional financial services providers into the fray, further creating options for clients requiring various services. These all speak to growth of the industry through enhanced customer value propositions and partnerships and the customer, as the most important stakeholder, ultimately reaps the benefits. The recent global trade headwinds has also brought to the forefront the inherent risks and there may be more impetus towards establishment of alternative trade and supply chain routes.
AKOFANG KEBONYE: Access Bank Botswana’s Global Transactional Services strategy is anchored on solutioning for our clients and their holistic value chains. Our core focus facilitating seamless transactability in all respects, including physical and digital channels as well as value add services that enable our clients to receive payments from customers and pay suppliers locally and abroad. Innovation is critical for us to successfully achieve our objectives and this goes beyond the typical scope that predominantly focuses on technology. Our solutioning approach is entrenched in our clients operations and we work with our clients to ensure that the end product is tailored and closely matches their requirements. We enable our corporate and business clients to foster positive relationships with their suppliers, distributors and customers, including those in unbanked and underserved segments of the population and this is through a culture of continuous needs assessment and being innovative about the products we offer. Furthermore, we have a huge passion for education and capacity building our stakeholders about our innovative products and services. This allows us to help our customers to evolve from using traditional ways of doing business to adopting a modern and effective model of banking and reconciling.
GUARDIAN: What are the key areas you focus on to drive growth and expansion for Access Bank Botswana in the global transactional services sector?
KEBONYE: We focus on key sectors driving the economy and essentially follow the transactional flows across our client’s value chains. Some of the obvious key sectors would include Mining, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Construction as well as Oil and Gas to name a few. Our value chain-focused approach also enables us to support the SMME clients as well leveraging their relationships with established corporates. Our solutions ensure that SMME’s are able to replenish stock with ease through working capital solutions and are able to collect through a variety of convenient collections platforms.
GUARDIAN: With the rise of fintech and digital banking, how is Access Bank Botswana integrating technology into its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: We are constantly looking to innovate internally and through partnerships with different players in the market. Technology allows us to scale fast and reach as much of our customer base as possible within the shortest possible time. Our existing partnerships with various mobile wallets with Mobile Operating organisations such as Orange, Mascom and BTC as well as platforms like AccessMore for individual customers and upcoming Primus Plus are some of the ways we leverage technology to improve ease of transacting for our clients.
GUARDIAN: What strategies is Access Bank Botswana implementing to improve the customer experience in its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: From a customer experience, we prioritise platform accessibility, stability and uptime to facilitate ease of transacting. Our tailored funding solutions also enable our clients to have fast access to cash to settle transactions. With strong relationship and product teams and customer experience on hand to resolve any issues, clients can have the comfort and assurance of seamless transactional experience.
GUARDIAN: How does the bank ensure that its global transactional services cater to the specific needs of both local and international clients?
KEBONYE: Based on Access Bank group aspiration of being the gateway to Africa, we rely heavily on our deep understanding of our clients in the country and their value chains. Our presence in major global financial centres allows us to link our clients locally and internationally to critical markets and sources of capital and business prospects. By so doing we facilitate trade within countries and amongst countries in the continent under the auspices of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. Facilitating transactions in various African currencies allows trade channels to develop and grow and our clients to discover new markets and opportunities. This is a significant opportunity as intra-Africa trade is currently estimated to be less than 15% compared to well over 50% in places like Europe and Asia. This creates opportunities for value addition, processing, and manufacturing in various African countries, leading to opportunities for employment and economic growth. SMMEs and individuals alike can particularly harness these opportunities and the solutions that we have in place to facilitate trade and transactability within the continent are there to support clients.
GUARDIAN: How does the bank approach cybersecurity and data privacy in its global transactions to ensure the protection of customers' sensitive information?
KEBONYE: We are bound by all relevant legislation and regulations to protect our clients and their assets including data. Our end-to-end operations and systems are set-up in a way that ensures the highest compliance levels.
GUARDIAN: Are there any new or ongoing partnerships Access Bank Botswana is engaged in to enhance its global transactional services?
KEBONYE: We partner with our clients in various sectors for solutions in their value chains. We currently have partnerships in the Oil and Gas and Beverages subsectors such as the partnership we launched with Trans in 2024 to avail funding for their various Beverages distributors. We are constantly engaging with clients to refine our offerings to better suit their needs.
GUARDIAN: What differentiates Access Bank Botswana from its competitors in providing global transactional services, and how does this advantage contribute to the bank's success?
KEBONYE: Our main differentiator is the ecosystem approach towards our clients. We do not solution just for the customer in front of us, but we look at their value chains and other stakeholders. This total solutioning allows us to be a meaningful partner to our clients and to build long term sustainable relationships. Our teams comprise of smart, enthusiastic, and talented individuals who constantly analyse the competition, international trends to identify new technologies and the latest ways of banking. With innovation at the heart of everything we do, there is no problem that is too big or too small, if it’s important to our client it is important to us and we will continuously create and refine until we establish fit for purpose solutions.
GUARDIAN: What emerging global trends do you see impacting transactional banking services over the next five to ten years?
KEBONYE: Increased digitalisation including adoption of distributed ledger technologies continues to create opportunities for improvements in efficiency and liberalisation of markets especially in trade finance. We are also seeing entry and growth of non-traditional financial services providers into the fray, further creating options for clients requiring various services. These all speak to growth of the industry through enhanced customer value propositions and partnerships and the customer, as the most important stakeholder, ultimately reaps the benefits. The recent global trade headwinds has also brought to the forefront the inherent risks and there may be more impetus towards establishment of alternative trade and supply chain routes.
