Tech in Africa
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are responding to the pandemic by accelerating their digital transformation efforts in response to Covid-19. Standard Bank, Google, and MasterCard announce a collaboration that will move these businesses online that accepts digitized payments and attracting customers.
This collaboration will see SMEs get free access to SimplyBlu from Standard Bank, creating a powerful e-commerce solution run by MasterCard Payment Gateway Services which free R500 in Google Ads value. The capabilities are packaged as a bundled solution that helps business owners tackle the environmental challenges brought about by the pandemic.
SimplyBlu was launched in 2019 as a platform that helps SMEs create an online presence through plug-and-play e-commerce for store building. The platform is designed to operate on a simple-to-use interface and accept payments in minutes.
Suzanne Morel, the MasterCard country manager in South Africa says,“We recognize the overwhelming pressure that small business owners are currently facing and are committed to supporting them through Covid-19 and beyond as they adapt to a new way of operating and evolved customer needs.”
SMEs can use Google Ads in their digital marketing channels helping them drive website visits, grow their online sales, mail list signups, bookings, phone calls, and customer interest queries.
Alistair Mokoena the Country Director of Google South Africa says, “Small businesses have been hardest hit during this period. Many of them have had to figure out quickly how to pivot their operations to a ‘digital-first’ approach. Yet, there remains a gap between those who can access these online opportunities and those who can’t.“
As more consumers adopt rapid online shopping habits and other digital services, more people are pivoting to online shopping and e-commerce. As an SME you can sign up here and remains valid until 31 December in 2020.
