Union54, a Zambian fintech startup, is set to launch a super-app called ChitChat in collaboration with MasterCard after experiencing a disruption in its operations in 2022 due to a chargeback fraud incident.
ChitChat is a collaborative initiative between Union54 and the global payments technology company, MasterCard. The platform aims to facilitate encrypted messaging for users across Africa allowing them to securely send messages.
Additionally, ChitChat, expected to launch in September 2023, will serve as a social commerce platform offering users:
- The ability to send money to one another
- Access a USD debit card for internatinal transactions, and
- Make purchases from digital storefronts within the app
“We are excited to announce our ChitChat product and at the same time, announce our expanded partnership with MasterCard,” said Perseus Mlambo, CEO of Union54.
“We believe that mobile payments and chat platforms can be a powerful force for increasing trade across Africa, and we are committed to building a platform that accelerates this. We’ve built payments into a chat platform, giving everyone a USD card on demand – on our terms.”
Through their partnership, Union54 and MasterCard have announced that they have collectively issued over 2 million cards to individuals in Africa.
“We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Union54 as we work towards creating a world beyond cash. Our collaboration will not only enable us to expand our reach into new markets, but it will also provide consumers with a secure and convenient way to access financial services,” said Gabriel Swanepoel, Country Manager at MasterCard, Southern Africa.
In July 2022, Union54 suspended its services due to an attempted chargeback fraud amounting to $1.2 billion. This incident prompted numerous African startups, which had previously relied on Union54’s card-issuing services, to swiftly seek alternative solutions.
In a TechCrunch interview conducted in March 2023, Mlambo expressed Union54’s intention to leverage the lessons learned from the aforementioned event and their subsequent hiatus to re-enter the African fintech market.
Union54 is the first Zambian startup to get into YCombinator and Africa’s first card-issuing API.
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