Nedbank Buys Metaverse Village , Showcasing African Finance

MetaversePlanet September 28, 2022

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South African financial services giant Nedbank has made a notable move by acquiring a village within the Metaverse world.

This virtual village will serve as a platform to showcase African creativity and offer experiences that extend beyond traditional banking services.

By securing a virtual property on Ubuntuland, Nedbank has become one of the pioneering financial institutions in Africa to embrace the potential of the Metaverse.

This move reflects a growing trend of businesses exploring the Metaverse as a means to engage with audiences and expand their digital presence.

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Nedbank Metaverse Village

Nedbank Buys Metaverse Village , Showcasing African Finance

South African financial services group Nedbank recently made headlines by acquiring a 12-by-12 village within the Ubuntuland Metaverse.

This virtual village is intended to serve as a platform for showcasing African creativity and innovation. With this initiative, Nedbank has become one of the pioneers in the financial sector to embrace the Metaverse, reflecting a growing interest among African financial institutions in exploring this virtual realm.

According to reports from Bloomberg, the creators of Ubuntuland have partnered with Africarare for this venture. Kensani Nobanda, the Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank, explained that the decision to enter the Metaverse was driven by the desire to offer customers experiences that go beyond traditional banking services.

The Nedbank Metaverse village is expected to offer a wide range of experiences, from virtual games to a gym. It’s worth noting that Nedbank is following in the footsteps of South African mobile network operator MTN, which was among the first South African companies to enter the Metaverse by acquiring 144 plots in Ubuntuland.

MTN’s move was aimed at enhancing the digital experience for its customers. Additionally, other companies like World Data Lab and M&C Saatchi Abel had already ventured into the Metaverse prior to Nedbank’s entry. This highlights the growing interest in the Metaverse across various industries in South Africa.

Banks Want to Explore Metaverse!

Banks and financial services institutions have been actively exploring Metaverse startups in recent times. These banks are keen on harnessing the potential of Web3 technologies, which are expected to replace the current technologies used by banks.

This shift is of significant interest due to the potential for traditional use cases to evolve and adapt to the new technology over time.

One noteworthy development is the establishment of a new digital bank within the Metaverse by Sygnum, a financial institution. Sygnum’s virtual bank has made its debut in the virtual New York Times Square within the Decentraland Metaverse.

The bank has exciting plans for its Metaverse headquarters, including the presence of a CryptoPunk receptionist, an NFT gallery, and an event space.

This virtual platform will serve as a showcase for the bank’s Web3 innovations. Furthermore, customers’ avatars will have the ability to explore the virtual garden across the three layers of the Metaverse.

Sygnum’s move positions it as an early adopter of Web3 technology, demonstrating its commitment to embracing blockchain advancements. This digital asset bank is actively developing products to advance blockchain technology, highlighting its dedication to innovation in the financial sector.