Nedbank Namibia, in collaboration with the Today Group, the homegrown fintech company, which introduced PayToday, has introduced IdentityToday (IDToday), a digital identity management platform that allows for the remote submission of the regulatory proof of identity documents that a prospective client needs to submit before a bank account may be opened for them. IDToday essentially allows clients to open a bank account on their phone by taking a selfie. Richard Meeks, Nedbank Namibia’s Executive for Retail and Business Banking, says IDToday revolutionises the process of opening a bank account. “In an era where the world was compelled to confront Covid-19 and the term, ‘social distancing’, subsequently became part of our lives, IDToday eliminates the crucial regulatory requirement for a prospective banking client to present their proof of identity in person to a bank official. It complements our online application process for new clients to shift all of their banking needs to Nedbank Namibia quite beautifully,” says Meeks. The Nedbank Namibia Executive says Covid-19 expedited digital innovations on a global scale, and with the advent of various lockdown regulations, the Bank has introduced innovations like “Send Money” and sleek updates to their “Money App” and online banking platforms as a means of providing their clients the additional comfort of banking from home with absolute convenience.
“IDToday is accessible via the Nedbank Namibia Facebook page and entails a lightning-fast process of submitting all the documents you require to open a Nedbank bank account, without ever having to step into a branch of ours,” said Meeks.
Chris Botha, co-founder and co-CEO of the Today Group, says their teams have used the time provided by Covid-19 to perfect the IDToday platform. “We have not seen this level of innovation by any commercial bank in Namibia, and we commend the technical teams of Nedbank Namibia for their vigour and enthusiasm throughout the development period. Applying, successfully so, for a bank account with a selfie is unheard of, but that is exactly what IDToday does,” enthuses Botha.
Meeks said that Nedbank Namibia has now fully embedded the IDToday selfie application process within their teams.
“Imagine opening your bank account from wherever you find yourself, and verifying your identity with a mobile phone selfie? These are the modern conveniences that technology provides us with, and Nedbank Namibia is immensely proud to blaze a trail for innovations like these.”