24 Apr StarrFM Points Africa Interview

Interviewer: You join us here on the Morning Star. Good to have you join us on the show. Points Africa, really? What does it do? What is it all about?

Andrew: Okay. So, Points Africa is a new loyalty program here in Ghana that increases the purchasing power of everyday Ghanaians by rewarding them for shopping at brands they know and love. So you can shop at some of your favorite brands like Melcom, Star Oil, Glyco, Jumia, Starbites, Jamestown Coffee, and Levi’s at Accra Mall. Pay with your MTN Momo. Get rewarded with points and then use those points for things like free data from MTN or airtime, free gas at Star Oil, free groceries at Melcom, or free coffee as well.

Interviewer: For anybody listening to you now, explain it in practical terms. How does it work really?

Andrew: Yeah, practical terms is that we’re an app. So you can download the Points Africa app at your Google Store or Apple Store. And then you can log in using your phone number. That’s all you need—no password, you get an OTP. Then you’re going to see all the great reward offers that you can get at all the brands we just mentioned. You then go and do what you do every day: shop at Melcom, fill up your gas at Star Oil, get a coffee at Jamestown Coffee, and then use the app. Pay for it with MTN Momo, and you get your points. Once you gather a number of points across all of our merchants, then you’re able to use those points for free items as well at the same merchants.

Interviewer: I’m trying to understand it as basic as I can. So, this is an app and you are able to shop with the various brands, make your payments, and the more you use it, the more points you get to access other things from these brands.

Andrew: Yeah, exactly. So, like I’m saying, we’re increasing your purchasing power. Essentially, do as you do today: shop wherever you shop in terms of the key favorite brands as mentioned. You get your points when you’re shopping there, you pull it together in what we call a points wallet, and then you use those points for free items as well.

Interviewer: At what point do you start getting the points?

Andrew: As soon as you download the app, you can then start shopping basically. If you regularly go to your grocery store every week, go to Melcom, you get your points. You need to fill up your gas at Star Oil, you get your points. As you shop with all of the merchants that are part of our loyalty program, you get your points. As soon as you start shopping, you get your points. And then you can literally redeem your points as soon as you have them. You can easily go onto the app, get data or airtime from MTN, or if you’re collecting more, you can get free gas or free groceries as well.

Interviewer: Unlike paying directly from the bank or from your mobile app without any benefits, when you use the Points Africa app, you’re getting extra points while making payments and shopping.

Andrew: Yes. Exactly. And soon we’re also going to be in the MTN Momo app as well. So when you log into your MTN Momo app to make that payment at that point of sale, you’re also able to get your points too.

Interviewer: What births the idea of Points Africa? How long have you been around?

Andrew: Our team has been doing this for a very long time elsewhere around the globe. We saw an opportunity to come into Africa and bring some of the ideas that have worked elsewhere, because everyone loves free stuff and getting rewarded as they shop. We thought Ghana would be a perfect market for it, especially with the growth of mobile money payments. We launched last year in November with some of our key partners like Star Oil, Glyco, and Jumia. Now we’re growing with Melcom, MTN Momo, and a raft of lifestyle partners like Jamestown Coffee, Levi’s at Accra Mall, and Starbucks.

Interviewer: What has been the response ever since you launched?

Andrew: It’s been great. Some responses are, “This is too good to be true,” because you’re not just getting a one-time discount. You’re able to shop across a multitude of brands, be rewarded, and then use those rewards for free items. A lot of people have come back and said they’ve loved it. A lot of people are collecting a really good amount of points when they go fill up their gas. Really great reception.

Interviewer: What has been the key benefit for the brands collaborating with you on this network?

Andrew: The key benefit is that they’re joining a loyalty program where we’re able to drive consumer behavior. They want new customers coming in and to retain existing customers. While there are other major brands in there, they’re able to tap into their customer base. If you’re shopping at Melcom and not regularly going to fill up gas at Star Oil, now you have an opportunity to do so because you’re getting points to do so, and then you’re able to use those points across the merchants we have.

Interviewer: Are you exploring adding other businesses?

Andrew: Absolutely. If you want to join our program, get in touch at pointsafrica.com. We’re definitely open to a lot more partnerships.

Interviewer: How do we get the app? Is it both on iOS and Android?

Andrew: Yes, you can go on there and do that. You can also register using USSD as well. It’s pretty easy—just download, put your phone number in, and that’s it.

Interviewer: Do you have other apps or just the Points Africa app?

Andrew: Just the Points Africa app, but as mentioned, we’re soon going to be in the MTN Momo app as well. In the app itself, you’ll see Points Africa.

Interviewer: Why should people join Points Africa?

Andrew: Why not? You want to be rewarded for your everyday shopping. You’ve got to get groceries and gas, you normally shop online or for coffee, so why not be rewarded for it with Points Africa? Join Points Africa to extend your purchasing power as a regular everyday Ghanaian consumer. You’re able to shop across really great brands like Melcom, Star Oil, Glyco, Jumia, and a raft of other lifestyle brands. Download the app for free, and once you start earning, you’re able to start using those points across our network.

Interviewer: Was it easy getting those brands on board?

Andrew: Always a challenge, but they’re in. We love the partners and consumers that are involved and joining the program. We love what we’re doing.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for joining us this morning. He is the CEO of Points Africa. You can download the app for that added advantage of getting extra points compared to paying directly from your app. Thank you once again, Andrew.