Norwegian web browser developer Opera Software has launched a web-enabled payment solution that can be accessed through their browser in Kenya.
The web-enabled payment system, called OPay, has been integrated into the Opera Mini browser following a great deal of testing in Kenya, according to ITWebAfrica.
Kenyans making use of the browser will have access to mobile money payment and credit card services such as mobile credit transaction and bill payments through OPay.
The development of a mobile payment solution forms part of Opera Software’s commitment to invest $100 million in Africa’s digital economy over the next two years.
The investment was officially announced in May this year, and will be used to develop artificial intelligence that delivers Africans customized and localized content, while aiming to reduce data costs by around 90 percent, according to Techcentral.
The goal is also to grow African businesses in partnership with African tech companies. It is envisaged that Opera will bundle in third-party services that provide mobile payment and improved data features through the web browser.
Executive vice president of payments and fintech at Opera Software, Nuno Sitima, said that Kenya made sense as a starting point for the company’s mobile payment initiative.
“This mobile payment technology integrated into the Opera Mini browser will help Kenya continue the highest rate of mobile payment technology adoption in the world. More than 80 percent of the country’s population with access to a cell phone use it to pay for goods and services,” said Sitima, according to Techweez.
“Our ultimate goal is to fuel the growth of African businesses through a simple, affordable solution that can encompass many payment methods in one easy-to-use app,” hs added.
Opera mini is the most widely used mobile browser on the African continent, and in November last year the company reached an impressive milestone with 100 million active users across its portfolio of products, according to the Opera blog.
Opera’s investment in their most devoted international market will also lead to job creation, with 100 new personnel set to be hired on the continent during the next three years.
Opera Software currently have offices in the South African cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg, and they will be opening new offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya, giving them an additional presence in major markets within East and West Africa.
