Govt rolls out 200,000 phones to elderly Social Cash Transfer beneficiaries

Government has commenced the distribution of more than 200,000 feature phones to elderly beneficiaries under the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) Programme in a move aimed at strengthening financial inclusion and accelerating Zambia’s digital transformation agenda.

The initiative, being implemented by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, targets elderly beneficiaries who currently do not own mobile phones but are enrolled under the SCT Programme.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry, Principal Public Relations Officer, Glenda Nachinga, said the intervention formed part of Government’s broader efforts to enable beneficiaries to receive their social cash transfers directly through digital platforms in a more secure, transparent, and efficient manner.

Currently, the Social Cash Transfer Programme reportedly supports 1,555,840 beneficiary households across 116 districts countrywide, with 89 percent of beneficiaries already receiving payments through mobile money platforms and banking systems.

“The latest exercise is expected to improve accountability, convenience, and efficiency in the delivery of social protection services while reducing challenges faced by elderly beneficiaries in accessing their payments,” she said.

Many senior citizens, particularly in rural communities, have been relying on other people’s mobile phones to verify and access their funds due to lack of personal devices.

In some cases, beneficiaries possess only SIM cards, exposing them to dependency, inconvenience, exploitation, and loss of SIM cards, which disrupts access to payments.

Nachinga said the direct provision of feature phones will empower vulnerable citizens with reliable and secure access to their social cash transfers while promoting digital and financial inclusion among marginalized communities.

She noted that the exercise represented a major milestone in ensuring that no beneficiary was left behind in Zambia’s ongoing digital transformation programme.

The initiative also reinforces government’s commitment to delivering inclusive and equitable social protection services across the country.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.