By: Thandiwe Kubere
Vodacom Lesotho (VCL) on Monday announced a funeral cover- Mpate Sheleng which is the first of its kind in the country. The cover allows users to pay weekly at their convenience and in the comfort of their homes.
The funeral cover was established in partnership with Alliance insurance which is the underwriter of the cover. VCL acting managing executive commercial, Ts’epo Thabisi explained that Mpate sheleng funeral insurance is accessible to VCL users to access through their phones and not have to wait in long queues. What particularly stands out about this product is that clients have a choice of either paying M15 to M30 monthly or M3.75 weekly for a cover of 10 000 to 15 000 as per the customer’s preference.
Mpate sheleng allows one to individually cover themselves or their family, which is their spouse and up to five children.
Thabisi stated that VCL takes pride in bringing convenience and affordability to Basotho which brought a result of a cost friendly policy. The partnership with Alliance insurance was brought upon by the reason that VCL is not an insurance company and would need assistance with claims processing and insurance legalities. Thabisi further stated that the policy was a continuation strategy of easing the lives of Basotho so that they live in comfort and have access to services at a low cost, especially now that the cost of living is getting higher.
The Chief Executive Officer of VCL Mohale Ralebitso said they are grateful as a company to alliance for having agreed to join hands in their pledge of serving Basotho. “We are here for one thing only-to serve Basotho”.
He explained the product was named Mpate sheleng to precisely honor the spirit of Basotho that unity is power and this is why they joined forces with Alliance insurance. “In that same spirit we bring you one more wonderful feature, so that when times get tough, you have one less thing to worry about. He said the premium paying mechanism is digital because they do not want the nation to be left behind when other countries advance.
“The convenience, a person is able to just check from their phones their progress and does not have go through many forms, it is as simplest it gets, and intended has to be that way. You will be surprised to see the amount of flexibility this product has,” he said.
The Chief Operating Officer of Alliance insurance, Malengolo Sello declared that Alliance is very honored and proud to have been part of this journey because it brings closer their purpose of serving Basotho at low costs. “This is important now when people are losing their jobs and the state of the economy seems to be in crisis, therefore it is important to see to it that people still have access to good services and that can be achieved through establishing products with affordability. I believe Vodacom is leading the way in the aspect of portraying financial inclusion”, she said.
The funeral cover is already available to only Lesotho ID holders from the age of 18 – 60 years of age. All Vodacom network subscribers can access the service by dialing *135# on their mobiles.