By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Africell Sierra Leone, through its mobile money service Afrimoney, has officially launched a new partnership with Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) to streamline water bill payments. The launch event took place on Tuesday, October 2, 2024, at the GVWC compound on Wilberforce Street, Freetown.
Marian Saata Karim, Acting Director of Commercial Services at GVWC, delivered the keynote address, expressing her gratitude to all attendees. She emphasized the importance of the partnership, which has been in the works since last year. “Water is life, and no one can live without it. We use money to process and provide water to the public,” she said.
Karim encouraged the public to obtain an Africell SIM card and register for Afrimoney to make water bill payments easily. “This service allows customers to pay their water bills from the comfort of their homes,” she added.
John Konteh, Marketing Director of Africell Sierra Leone, thanked GVWC for their ongoing efforts to improve water supply in greater Freetown. He noted that the new payment platform would ease the burden of bill payments for customers, reducing the stress of visiting GVWC offices in person.
Konteh explained the simple steps required to use Afrimoney for bill payments. “First, customers must be Africell subscribers and registered with Afrimoney. Then, by dialing 1612119#, they can enter their GVWC account number, confirm the amount to be paid, and finalize the transaction with their Afrimoney PIN. A notification from both Afrimoney and GVWC will confirm the successful payment.”
He also clarified that the Afrimoney payment platform can be used to pay GVWC bills not only in the western area of Freetown but in all locations where GVWC services are available.
Dr. Peter Lamin, from GVWC’s Communication Unit, welcomed the partnership, noting that it was the first of its kind with Africell. He highlighted how this initiative would make bill payments more convenient for customers, many of whom have struggled to visit GVWC offices in the past.
The event concluded with the official launch of the partnership and a commemorative photo session.
