On Friday, 28 July 2023, Rokel Commercial Bank (RCBank) commemorated the five-year anniversary of its groundbreaking product, Simkorpor, and gave back to its valuable customers. 

Throughout the territory of RCBank, branches, and agents proudly adorned Simkorpor-themed decorations and played informative adverts to spread awareness about the product.

In branches, a special table was set up, where staff joyfully shared chocolates with customers as they worked. As a token of appreciation, the first ten customers to carry out Simkorpor transactions were gifted personalized phone holders, adding a touch of exclusivity to the celebration.

Emile Sannah, Operational Head at RCBank’s Simkorpor Department, highlighted that the decision to launch Simkorpor stemmed from the aim to alleviate long queues and waiting times experienced by customers at physical bank branches.

 

He emphasized the strong relationship the bank has built with its customers, offering a dedicated help desk for Simkorpor inquiries. He also mentioned the extensive training programs organized for their agents, contributing to Simkorpor’s increasing popularity as a household name in Sierra Leone. The product’s convenience in digitizing the country’s economy has been widely appreciated.

“We started in July 2018 with Simkorpor and the application was upgraded to Simkorpor Plus in 2020 with added features like e-korpor and transfers with QR code payment,” he said.

“So we have a lot to celebrate as we keep growing our customers and satisfying their needs.”

Looking ahead, Sannah said RCBank has ambitious plans to expand Simkorpor’s features, including connecting card transactions to the mobile application and incorporating USSD functionality to cater for non-Android or Apple phone users.

He said the bank aims to have agents in every corner of the country, fostering a transformation towards a digital economy.

Speaking at the celebration, Francis Bockarie, Rokel Commercial Bank Simkorpor Representative at Congo Cross Branch, expressed his delight at the growing number of customers using the service.

As a token of appreciation, he said the bank gifted customers customized phone holders, sweets, and other goodies.

“You are missing out a lot if you are not part of the Simkorpor service because it is a user-friendly service. It caters for every set of people,” he said.

Christina Conteh, a Simkorpor merchant at Wilkinson Road, also lauded the service’s reliability and ease of use, offering gifts to customers to celebrate the momentous occasion.

“Our relationship with customers is good. They have been using the service without much complaint and hassle. The turn-up is also not that bad, even though we expect more of them to be using the Simkorpor service because it is an easy and reliable way of doing transactions,” she said.

Delighted customers, such as Alie Sesay, praised Simkorpor for eliminating the need to stand in long queues for transactions and allowing easy access to account balances.

“One thing I love about the Simkorpor service is that it makes me not to stand in long queues to receive or send money. I am using the service also to check my balance anywhere without coming to the Bank,” he said.

Mariama Cole, another customer said, she has been using the application for a long time and thanked the bank for giving back to them.

“I received a phone holder this morning after I have done my transaction. I want to thank RCBank Simkorpor for this gift and for giving back to us the customers,” she said.

Alfred Jaward also expressed his gratitude for the thoughtful gifts and commended RCBank for giving back to their loyal customers.

“Apart from sending and receiving money, I also use the Simkorpor service to pay for my EDSA top up and other bills,” he said.

Mohamed Kabia, a long-standing RCBank customer, extended his appreciation for the gifts and vowed to continue using Simkorpor for its convenience in making payments for goods and services at various locations.

Although the majority of customers celebrated the service’s seamless experience, some mentioned the internet-dependence of the service as a minor concern. Regardless, they praised Simkorpor’s affordability and reliability and encouraged others to open an account with RCBank and embrace the Simkorpor service for a more convenient financial journey.

As RCBank marks the five years of Simkorpor’s success, it remains committed to providing exceptional service and empowering Sierra Leoneans to embrace the digital revolution, making strides toward a brighter and more efficient future.