Missing out on your favourite concert, sports game or comedy show because of the long distance to the ticketing point continues to be demystified , thanks to Ticteq, an online ticketing system that bridges the gap.
The solution, which brings together event organisers and revelers on a single online platform, continues to offer convenience to revelers, who can now buy their tickets from wherever they are at any time.
According to George Katuramu, the Tecteq Director, the solution has allowed event organizers to shift from the slow, costly and inconveniencing manual process to a digital one that allows them to register and upload their events on the Ticteq platform for potential customers to buy.
Using the platform, event organisers can contact people who have bought tickets, and a customer can also get a refund in case they are unable to attend.
“This is a complete solution for someone who wants to organise a successful event, without worrying about tickets, fake notes, coins or being cheated at the entrance,” Katuramu says, adding that one simply visits www.ticteq.com to buy a ticket using either mobile money or a credit card.
He further explains that the platform is increasingly being used given that it settles transactions in real time.
“This is a complete solution for someone who wants to organise a successful event, without worrying about tickets, fake notes, coins or being cheated at the door,” he says..
He adds: “We want to ensure that we offer these services in a way that makes the fun of a live event start with the purchase process, not just when someone arrives at the venue.”
Fundraising product
Ticteq also offers the crowd funding product that seeks to enable people share their causes with the public, via their portal, to raise funds to address their pressing needs.
The causes, according to Katuramu, can range from education to medical to social, among others.
When a well-wisher makes a donation, the person gets their money instantly and free of charge, according to Katuramu, who, however, emphasizes that the funds are followed up to ensure that they are used for the intended cause.
“With our portal, you can always know who donated, the total number of people who donated and the total amount donated and you can withdraw the money to your mobile money account or a bank account at any time but we follow up to ensure that the money is used for the purpose for which it was raised,” he says.
When a person makes a donation, the benefactor automatically receives the money instantly at no cost. But Katuramu emphasizes that they follow up the funds to ensure that they are used for the intended cause.
“With our portal, you can always know who donated, the total number of people who donated and the total amount donated and you can withdraw the money to your mobile money account or a bank account at any time but we follow up to ensure that the money is used for the purpose for which it was raised,” he says.
Although the product would salvage many people who we usually see on social media platforms conversing for financial support, Katuramu notes that most Ugandans are yet to appreciate the power of crowd funding.
“Most Ugandans think that crowd funding is for people who need organ transplant or surgery which is not true; it is for everyone. You may need tuition to complete your education or need money to travel, you can raise it through crowd funding,” he says.
“Simply share your story, giving details of what you need to do and how you want to do it. The people who will like your story and get touched to contribute towards the cause; they will do so,” he explains.
To popularize the innovation, Katuramu says the firm is undertaking an awareness drive on its website to create interest from the public.
Ticteq is one of the participants in the 40-Days 40-FinTechs initiative, organised by HiPipo, in partnership with Crosslake Tech, ModusBox and Mojaloop Foundation.
Katuramu applauded HiPipo for the initiative, saying that it has helped shine a light on the great solutions being innovated by the various FinTechs to solve everyday challenges, which most people did not know about.
He, however, appeals to the government to support Uganda’s FinTech industry, saying it holds the answer to boosting financial inclusion.
The HiPipo Chief Executive Officer Innocent Kawooya says this edition of 40-Days 40 FinTechs will be Uganda’s most comprehensive foray into things like distributed ledger technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Automated Customer Relationship Management, cash management and lending platforms.
He notes that FinTech is the launchpad on which the promise of full global financial inclusion will be fulfilled.
“The 40-Days 40 FinTechs LevelOneProject shall show we have the innovators to take on today’s challenges,” Kawooya says.
However, he adds, a connecting thread will be how FinTechs urgently need interoperability and thus how open source frameworks such as Mojaloop and other technologies, are here to help, including guiding on how emerging frameworks such as LevelOneProject principles can be used to engender sustainable financial inclusion impact.
