Mobile money services providing employment for Zambian youth.

Mobile money booths are seen in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2021.

As jobs in the formal sector are hard to come by, the booming mobile money services sector is providing a host of employment opportunities for Zambian youths who help clients with money withdrawal and deposit services through cell phones.

LUSAKA, March 26 — The mobile phone communication services industry has over the years provided a host of employment opportunities across Africa through its range of services.

Among the opportunities created by the industry are mobile money services, which involve the electronic receipt, transfer, and storage of money using a cellular phone.

In Zambia, mobile phone network companies work with agents who also employ youths. These young people can be seen working from booths, which are often found at street turns and trading places.

Young people work in mobile money booths in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 17, 2021. 

The main role of the young people is to help clients deposit or withdraw cash as well as send money to others. They also guide clients on how to register for mobile money services.

While some are on a fixed salary, many of them work on a commission basis with many getting as much as 40 percent of the profits realized.

Twenty-year-old Martha Chileshe who operates near a busy shopping mall in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital revealed that she gets about 1,500 to 2,000 kwacha (about 68 to 90 U.S. dollars) per month.

“Working on commission basis pushes one to work harder because you know that your input determines your pay. I was once on fixed pay and it was far much less than what I get now,” she explained.

Most of the youths interviewed explained that working for mobile money business has enabled them to provide for their immediate basic needs as well as to set aside some money for college or business.Xinhua