1. Online Vending Contracts 2009 - 2012
EXCOPS

2. Introduction
Prepayment customer base is currently around 3.6 million and it is growing at a rate of approximately 10% per annum.
In order to sustain good service delivery, it is imperative for Eskom to adopt a ‘Prepaid Electricity Vending Strategy’ that responds to customer needs and business challenges…
‘Online Vending’ brings convenience to customers by enabling the customers to purchase electricity via ATMs, cellular phones, internet, vouchers, scratch cards and swipe machines at retail stores. It provides customers with more channels to purchase electricity whilst assisting Eskom to meet the service regulatory requirements of NRS047.

3. Key Change Drivers
To comply with the requirements of NERSA - (NRS047):
vending station every 2000 customers, and within every 5km radius
To significantly increase current vending footprint
improve convenience and introduce various purchase channels
To tighten management controls in the prepaid environment
centralise management of transactions and customer data
To reduce opportunities for fraud
automate transaction uploads and phase out Credit Dispensing Units (CDUs)
To improve vending efficiencies
Centralised management of security modules and that of vending business logic

4. Migration to Online Vending Operations
Eskom Walk-In Centres
Phase 1
+/ 1600 Off-line Vending Agents
Phase 2 +
Not real time
Phase 3
Retail Chain Stores
ATM’s
Phase 4
Internet
Real time
Online Vending will enable Eskom to grow the approximate 1,500 CDU’s in operation at the moment to more than 10,000 within the foreseeable future. This will include additional footprint via the EasyPay network to more retail stores around the country. Eskom is currently piloting vending via ATM’s as well. Cellphone vending was demonstrated to Eskom as well by one of the service providers, and at this stage EBSST token vending is already possible. As soon as the switching of funds between accounts have been sorted out, it is envisage that normal vending will become the norm where a SMS is send from a cellphone and a token received back, all in the comfort of the customer’s own house.
Contact Centres
Merchants
Increased National Footprint via various point of sale devices /channels
Prepaid Electricity Tokens used be sold from Eskom Walk-In Centres before +/ Offline Vending Agents were appointed in the communities that Eskom is supplying directly. EasyPay pay points and vending outlets (Retail Stores, Service Stations Banks etc) were later added to increase the options and expand the national footprint. The current phase is that of implementing Online Vending and thus deploying multitudes of new virtual channels