On Tuesday, August 31, Cogebanque PLC concluded a three-month campaign dubbed “Tugendane na Cogebanque” that aimed at encouraging all account holders with the lender to adopt online banking channels as their preferred way of transacting. The campaign which kicked off in June 2021 and was initially introduced during Tour du Rwanda 2021 cycling tournament has seen a 23 per cent increase of uptake of Cogebanque’s online banking platforms that include mobile banking (USSD: *505#, Mobile application “Coge mBank”), Cogebanque Mastercards and Smart Cash cards. Joel Kayonga, the Commercial Director at Cogebanque PLC said this campaign was much needed especially during these pandemic times where people are encouraged to avoid physical contact with money as a way to reduce their chances of contracting the deadly Covid-19 virus. He added that it is their mandate as a bank to make it as simple and convenient as possible for their clients to be able to access their money and conduct transactions from wherever they may be and at any time. This of course, he continued, aligns with the country’s vision to become a cashless economy as well which we as a bank fully support. Antoine Iyamuremye, the Head of Marketing and Product Development at the bank said that they have seen significant reduction of queues at their different branches during the time this campaign ran. He urged Rwandans, especially their clients, to continue using these platforms even beyond the campaign. Since the campaign kicked off, several clients have won various prizes. For the winners, these platforms have made it much more convenient and safer for them to conduct their transactions especially during the lockdown periods where movements were limited as testified by Bernadette Hanyurwumutima who adopted the mobile banking platforms at the start of the pandemic and has since been using them for her day-to-day banking needs. As the campaign came to an end, eight more winners were awarded where among the prizes were a motorcycle, a sports bike, a television, a fridge and several smartphones. Eric Kayijamahe Muhirwa who won a television screen commended the leadership of Cogebanque as well as the Government of Rwanda for encouraging the usage of online banking systems to help in preventing the Covid-19 global pandemic. He added that his relationship with Cogebanque dates back 11 years and that he appreciates their innovations over the years. “They also have great technology that has made the experience smoother where you don’t have to make long queues to transact. In the past year I have worked with them, I’ve been using their technology to buy fuel at different filling stations, pay for food at restaurants, order stuff abroad among other transactions,” said Assoumpta Utabajimana, another client. Cogebanque has 28 branches, over 600 agents and 36 ATMs across the country.
