Author: Dorcas Antwi

“Never be afraid to jump at the sun, you will never reach it, but your feet will leave the ground.” (Bram, 2017) 

And jump we did. The Hubtel story, often told, is a testament to the power of ambition and the lessons learned along the path of embracing failure.  

Origins and Early Wins: 

Founded in 2005 as SMSGH by Alex Bram, Ernest Apenteng,  and Leslie Gyimah, three ambitious undergraduates, the company started as SMSGH with a mission to simplify business to customer communication via SMS. The founders’ entrepreneurial spirit, honed through various earlier ventures, proved crucial in navigating early challenges. SMSGH saw quick success, making its first sale after five months and securing significant contracts within its first year. By 2007, the company was a pioneer, launching Africa’s first online SMS portals and alert systems for banks, reaching an impressive $1 million in revenue that year. 

Pivotal Transformation: 

Despite initial success, the company recorded slowing growth rates around 2013-2014, which prompted the need for a strategic shift. The company leaders participated in the Stanford Seed Business Transformation program in 2016 which led to the birth of the Hubtel brand with a new emphasis on payments and customer services. The Hubtel mobile app launched in 2017, aiming to be a “super-app” connecting users and businesses. Hubtel obtained approval from the Bank of Ghana to operate as an Enhanced Payment Services Provider in 2019, solidifying its position in the fintech space. 

Growth and Recognition: 

Since rebranding in 2017, Hubtel has experienced phenomenal growth, attaining a full license as an Enhanced Payment Services Provider in 2022 and becoming Ghana’s largest fintech by the end of that year. The company takes pride in its workforce, which has expanded significantly over the past 2 years to 650+ employees across Ghana, reflecting the company’s impact and success.  

The Hubtel mobile application taps into a vast market, with 4300+ restaurants and eateries, 632 pharmacies and shops, and 382 active riders in 8 cities across the country. This extensive network facilitates an average of 42,000+ orders monthly, serving a customer base of 10,500+ monthly.  

The Hubtel Legacy 

Over the past years, Hubtel has had a significant impact on various industries in Ghana, including telecom, entertainment, banking, education, retail, healthcare, and utilities.   

In the utilities sector, Hubtel worked with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) from July 2022 to plug payment processing leakages and grow monthly revenues by nearly 100% to GHS1.2 billion.  Due to this significant feat, in March 2024, the company signed a commercial agreement with the nation’s largest distributor of power, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)  

In the education sector, Hubtel provides a mobile application that helps schools manage school fee payments. This has streamlined payment processes and improved the financial management of early childhood schools across Ghana.  

In the healthcare sector, Hubtel has played a key role in the digital transformation of hospitals. This has increased efficiency and transparency, benefiting both patients and staff.  

Hubtel’s story embodies the power of innovation, adaptability, and unwavering dedication in a competitive tech landscape. The company transitioned from a focused SMS provider to a leading fin offering a ‘super-app’ that facilitates everyday transactions. Hubtel’s emphasis on pivoting to meet market needs and overcoming obstacles serves as an inspiration for businesses in Ghana and beyond. 

Discover more of the Hubtel story here: hubtel.com/19-years 

Luckweb, the operator of Daywa 5/39 Lottery, is a leading global lottery operator with operations spanning across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Licensed and regulated by the National Lottery Authority (NLA), they provide an exciting new gaming experience to the Ghanaian public. 

Challenge 

Luckweb faced two challenges. Firstly, customers were unable to complete payments to play games because the USSD code or API truncated, funds occasionally hung, and did not reach them or their customers on time. Additionally, there were discrepancies in reconciliation between them and the service provider. 

Secondly, Luckweb needed a reliable SMS service provider to enable them to send timely SMS messages and transactional alerts to their customers. 

“For the industry we operate in, every second of delay has consequences; it leads to issues of mistrust. When messages are not delivered promptly, there is a risk of being perceived as tampering with the system or attempting to manipulate results,” said Marita Ofori, Marketing Manager of Luckweb Ghana. 

Luckweb needed a service provider that was not only reliable but also guaranteed that customers could make smooth payments to play games, receive cash prize notifications on time, and send bulk messages for marketing purposes. 

Solution 

Luckweb switched to Hubtel, which offered them solutions to all the challenges they previously faced. With Hubtel’s services, they were able to integrate a Receive Money API into their system to enable them to receive payments from their customers without any hindrance. To solve the issue of cash prize distribution, a Send Money API was also integrated into their system to ensure that winning customers received their cash prizes right on time without any delays. 

Additionally, customers received prompt transactional alerts whenever they made payments to play or received money from their winnings. These timely notifications not only kept their customers informed but also increased the trust customers had in the business. 

In their marketing efforts, Luckweb also makes use of Hubtel’s Bulk Messaging service to enable them to send messages to all their customers in one go. 

With Hubtel’s API integrations and messaging service, Luckweb has eliminated the challenges they previously faced. Their traffic has grown significantly, and they have been able to collect payments smoothly from their customers, consistently distribute cash prizes timely, and messages promptly delivered. 

Results 

Since the switch to Hubtel, Luckweb has been able to: 

• Seamlessly collect payments from their customers. 
• Consistently and promptly distribute cash prizes to winning customers. 
• Promptly send transactional notifications to keep customers informed. 
• Ensure timely delivery of SMS messages to all customers for marketing purposes. 
• Improve its overall customer experience. 

Hubtel enables Luckweb to maintain its outstanding service by ensuring that customers can make payments to play games and receive their prizes promptly. This not only streamlines the gaming experience but also contributes significantly to the overall experience of Luckweb’s customers. 

“We are very happy with Hubtel’s services,” says Marita. “They have been seamless and have successfully addressed the issues we once faced.” 

It’s that time of the year again – Valentine’s Day – sigh. You can’t escape giving your lover a Valentine’s Day gift, because you are not the only one interested in your relationship. There are various stakeholders. 

If you are willing to hold on to your boo, bae, honey, or replace with the nickname you call your lover, we have lined up five pocket-friendly things you can do for or with bae this Valentine’s Day. 

Surprise them with their favorite food

Well, you know what the saying says: ‘Food is the easiest way to the heart.’ So why not give them the food they love the most on a day that’s all about love? 

Our gift recommendation: Order their favorite food and have it delivered straight to them, wherever they are. 

Send them a surprise money alert 

Science is yet to prove it, but the streets know there’s a direct correlation between money and love. A mobile money or bank alert can get you beaming with smiles all day. 

Our gift recommendation: No matter the network or bank account, send them an instant cash gift. You don’t have to break the bank; after all, it’s the thought that counts. 

A surprise data or airtime top-up 

You know conversations are what keep love going. So why not surprise them with a data or airtime top-up? After all, it’s either you are calling, or your lover is calling. So, getting them this as a Val’s Day gift sums it up. 

Our gift recommendation: Instead of just calling or writing a paragraph about how you feel, add an action to it with a simple airtime or data top-up. 

Surprise them with an act of service 

Well, we are not making this up. There are five love languages, and Acts of Service is one of them. So why not speak to your lover in their love language on a special day like this? If Acts of Service is their love language, you can easily do something they would love, like simply helping them wash the dishes, pay bills, or assist with grocery shopping. 

Our gift recommendation: Get their grocery shopping for the week done or cover their utility bill, or both. 

Spend time together 

While we are still on the topic of love languages, let’s talk about Quality time. What’s more romantic on this special day than spending time together? You may not have the money to book a getaway trip to Dubai or Bali now (Keep grinding, you will get there), but you can get a couple’s ticket to a sip n’ paint or watch a play together. Scroll through event tickets and get tickets to an event both of you will enjoy. 

Our gift recommendation: Get tickets to your preferred event on the Hubtel app. Tell them to block their evening. It’s just for the two of you, to do something fun together. 

Well, well, well, while you are still here, let’s quickly remind you that you can do all these easily with the Hubtel app. Order food, send money to any bank or network, get airtime and data top-up, pay bills, and get tickets to exciting events. Tap to download the Hubtel app now. 

With love, 

Hubtel.