Case Study: How to Power 1,000+ Field Workers With Staff Airtime And Electricity Access

From grinding manual purchasing chaos to fully automated bulk top-ups in a fraction of the time, this is how one NGO streamlined staff airtime and electricity access in no time.

Got a field team operating in SA?

Keeping your people online, reachable and productive is mission-critical for most organisations, but especially for NGOs. That’s why, when non-profit TB/HIV Care grew from under a hundred to well over a thousand people, they had to rethink how they handle staff airtime and electricity top-ups.

This is how they moved away from manual voucher runs to fast, auditable bulk digital distribution — and kept campaigns moving without missed calls, offline surveyors or financing headaches, thanks to reliable staff airtime and electricity access.

Before Prepaid24: Manually Buying Airtime And Electricity is a Nightmare

TB/HIV Care’s early process was like many NGOs: A staffer physically goes to buy vouchers for a small team, tracking the details in a spreadsheet. And it worked - until it didn’t…

“As the team grew, they quickly realised that this method would be unsustainable”, says Vivian Mostert, Prepaid24 Business Services Manager. “Not to mention the financial risks involved with doing it manually.”

Managing staff airtime and data access across dispersed teams also collided with donor requirements. With local and international funders, TB/HIV Care had to prove how and where money was spent. Manual, in-store purchases meant physical slips, fragmented records and no definitive proof that a recharge landed on the intended number.

As Vivian notes, “Because they purchased physical vouchers, they could not prove if recharges were successful or if the credit was loaded onto the cell number it was intended for.”
“When their team/network of fieldworkers grew from less than 100 to well over a thousand individuals, the operational risk of one offline fieldworker - let alone dozens - was too high for a mission where timing and responsiveness matter.”

They needed a better solution.

Prepaid24’s Fix: Reliable Staff Airtime And Electricity Top-Ups At Scale

Another NGO referral led TB/HIV Care to Prepaid24 Business Services, where a purpose-built bulk system turned a patchwork process into a predictable, auditable workflow. “They quickly saw the benefits of using Prepaid24 for bulk top-ups,” says Vivian, “because the system also makes spend reporting to their various funders so much easier.”

Operationally, the setup is lean. Corné Lindeque, Head of Business Development & Communication at Prepaid24 explains: “TB/HIV Care structure their orders with Prepaid24 based on their different funders, and our system enables them to have only one internal resource responsible for airtime and data purchases for all their field workers.”

This gives TB/HIV Care a simplified recharge ops procedure:

• They submit a single file with all their top-up needs in one place
• Prepaid24 helps check the accuracy of this file and provides an order reference
• They then submit their payment to finance
• And Prepaid24 processes all the top-ups within an hour or two.

“And after their order, we compile a full, detailed purchase report,” Corné explains.

A dedicated Prepaid24 account manager helps with monthly bulk uploads, best-fit data package advice and cell number network accuracy by region, so that staff airtime and electricity access stays fast and dependable while success rates remain high.

The Results: Faster Top-Ups, Fewer Failures, Stronger Donor Confidence

The first big benefit of this new system is fewer recharge failures, thanks to Prepaid24’s dedicated business service and quality checks, tightening control over staff airtime and electricity data and orders.

Second, speed: “Top-ups take exponentially less time,” Lindeque notes. “Our bulk system can top up thousands of numbers within an hour.” That’s a material shift from multiple store runs to a one-hour processing window after payment - exactly the quick turnaround field operations need.

Third, audit-ready reporting that reassures funders. Each bulk order includes a transaction report detailing successes and any failures with reasons, plus invoices and monthly statements for finance. “Donors who are comfortable with the transparent allocation of their money are much more prone to continue funding an organisation’s work,” Corné adds.

A TB/HIV Care team member sums up the service experience:

“The Prepaid24 team always delivers professional customer service, even though we are a demanding client. Vivian goes out of his way to always be available when we need a hand. Thank you!”

How to Get Bulk Staff Airtime And Electricity Access For Your Organisation

1. How To Register As A Business With Prepaid24

• Go to Prepaid24 Business Services and click Sign Up.
• Complete the short Business Services Registration (email, password, accept T&Cs).
• Submit and proceed to the Business Services dashboard once your profile is active (an email will be sent requesting a few KYC documents for proper compliance).

2. How To Log Into The Dashboard To Make Purchases

• Go to the Business Services Dashboard Login page.
• Enter your registered credentials and open the dashboard.
• Upload your cell number list (bulk file) or load your purchase, then confirm and pay from the dashboard.

3. Need Help? Get Support from Professionals

• Prepaid24 has caring support agents available from 07:00 to 23:00, 7 days a week. And you will enjoy access to dedicated business consultants during office hours, ready to assist with any and all of your business’ bulk orders, numbers, meter queries and more.

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