Finance manager Dominique Nash explains how the payment app now performs quick and easy daily screenings.
When Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that schools would begin their gradual phased approach in June, the team at Karri Payments decided to make this transition easier. They quickly deployed a new feature on the Karri app to help schools prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The app, which is already used by more than 1,000 schools nationwide, now allows for the simple, paperless screening of children and staff before they arrive on the school premises. Daily screening tests are collected and the results can be tracked in one place, according to the correct protocols. Importantly, the new feature does not come with any additional costs to either schools or parents.
Dominique Nash, the finance manager at Karri Payments describes Karri as a secure payment app that is supported by Nedbank. It allows parents to make safe, quick and convenient payments to their school. These include payments for tuition, textbooks, uniform, fundraising activities and school ancillaries.
In this time of intense education disruption, the response from schools to the new feature has been ‘hugely positive’. “This new feature is a saving grace for many of the schools we work with. It allows for quick and easy daily screenings. The storing of response data eases the administrative burden on administrative staff,” Dominique says.
She sees potential take-up of the app at church groups as well as the corporate environment as organisations battle with the new compliance burden of Covid-19 paper screening. For churches and other religious groups, it is possible to collect tithes and donations using the Karri app while conducting an online ceremony.
Karri also plays another vital role in the efforts against Covid-19 by reducing the need for cash handling. A recent LendEDU, online marketplace, revealed that the average cash ‘germ score’ was 160. To put ‘germ scores’ into context, the higher the score, the dirtier the surface. It is recommended that a food establishment surface should have a ‘germ score’ of 10 or less.
For Dominique, who worked at Citigroup in London for more than nine years, working at Karri Payments offers the intellectual stimulation of working in finance combined with the feel-good factor of adding value to schools and parents. She also enjoys the move into SME financial management where her finance skills can be focused towards ensuring the sustainability of the business.
The company, based in Cape Town with a 20-member team, is proud of the adoption rate of Karri among schools and parents. Dominique believes that adoption is high due to parents recognising that having a cash-free school reduces security risks. It also allows parents to enjoy the loyalty benefits of debit and credit card spend and provides greater flexibility around payment method. These are key benefits at a time when finances may be under pressure.
