The deal was announced at the Mondato Summit in Johannesburg, where the PriceCheck app was the runner up of the Mobile Financial Services Innovation of the Year Award.
Says De Wet: "PriceCheck's experience over the past seven years has taught us that search is where everything starts. It is the first step in the decision making process for the end user, the point where influence is the strongest. The partnership with MTN both in South Africa and in Nigeria gives us access to the largest mobile phone market in Africa. Together we own product search. Shopping is no longer somewhere you go, it's something you do - that's the power of mobile."
What makes PriceCheck relevant in an African environment is that it lists both online store and offline brick-and-mortar results. When a user searches for a product on the app, the results returned include price, location, product information and industry reviews. The company is currently working on turn-by-turn mapping to guide users directly to merchant locations; mobile payment integration and offline collection options.
Says De Wet: "We call it everywhere commerce - ecommerce, offline commerce, mobile commerce - all in one place. We're at the forefront of a digital explosion and it won't happen on the web, it will happen in homes and malls and cars, as close and immediate as your phone is right now. Your mobile is going to bring local and relevant search to wherever you want it to be."
"Mobile commerce is on the rise in Africa," says Verkade. "The partnership with PriceCheck will not only give our customers a better and richer digital experience, but also empower them to make more informed decisions, while saving time and money on their purchases."
The PriceCheck MTN Nigeria app will be available in all leading app stores from August. The app will also be pre-loaded on popular mobile phones across Nigeria.
The PriceCheck website and touch site are already available in Nigeria. Go to www.pricecheck.com.ng or touch.pricecheck.com.ng on a smartphone.
