Cape Town, South Africa – Hayo, a leading innovator in digital solutions for emerging markets, has entered an exclusivity agreement with Talk360, a prominent international calling app provider. This partnership aims to provide high-quality, cost-efficient international calling services to millions across the African diaspora, strengthening connections between communities worldwide.

Strategic Partnership for Seamless Connectivity

Under this agreement, Hayo becomes the exclusive provider of high-performance voice services for Talk360 in local African markets. The collaboration is designed to create seamless calling corridors, enabling Africans around the globe to maintain strong ties with their families, friends, and businesses back home. In 2024 alone, Talk360 connected over four million people, a testament to the growing demand for reliable international communication solutions.

Feraz Ahmed, CEO of Hayo, emphasized the transformative potential of this partnership:

“Hayo is committed to fostering on-the-ground innovation that positively impacts local communities. Partnering with Talk360 allows us to extend high-quality, affordable voice services to millions. There’s still room for innovation in voice communication, and this partnership exemplifies our vision for the future.”

Driving Accessibility Through Competitive Rates

Talk360’s collaboration with Hayo brings competitively priced, high-performance wholesale voice minutes, reducing call rates due to high traffic volumes. This ensures that international calling remains affordable, bridging the gap for the estimated 3.4 billion people not using over-the-top (OTT) communication services. The GSMA’s State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2023 report highlights that only 57% of the global population has access to mobile internet, underscoring the critical role of services like Talk360 in enhancing digital inclusion.

Hans Osnabrugge, CEO of Talk360, noted:

“Hayo understands our mission to deliver quality calling services across Africa. Our growth is driven by reliability and ease of use, and we’ve made it our mission to offer top-ups anywhere our users shop, supporting even the smallest payments.”

Flexible Payment Solutions for Broad Reach

Talk360 supports over 200 payment methods, with a robust network of 500,000 points of sale in South Africa through its sister company NjiaPay. This extensive reach enables users to purchase call credits in local currencies easily. Importantly, the receiver of the call does not need to be connected to the internet or own a smartphone, making the service accessible to a broader audience.

Key features include:

Global Reach: Calls to over 190 countries.
Affordable Rates: Up to 99% cheaper than traditional telecom providers.
Flexible Top-Ups: Small, affordable payment options with wide accessibility.