BotswanaPost last week Thursday launched Hybrid Mail at a function at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC).

Hybrid Mail is a service designed for organisations that mail large quantities of invoices, statements, time-sensitive notices and business mail.

Launching the new service offered by BotsanaPost, Maun West MP, Ronald Ridge, said the facility would contribute to sustainable national growth by reducing the cost of mail service in offices.

"The facility also places BotswanaPost in a position to contribute to the achievements of two of the pillars of Vision 2016 as well as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Post Office is an important medium for business and commerce," Ridge said.

"It is an absolute necessity that it should keep pace with contemporary developments, especially the rapidly changing ICTs. ICT has created a myriad of opportunities for the postal sector. ICTs have offered significant opportunities for improved customer service and enhanced conventional communication products for better quality. Hybrid Mail is one such solution."

The state-of-the-art facility is capable of producing 15 000 pieces of mail per hour. It relieves companies of expensive tasks such as printing, enveloping and transportation, and ensures an impression appearance because advanced laser printing and mail-processing technology is used.

Botswana Post Acting Director General, Ruth Mphathi, said contrary to common belief that the information superhighway is driving the Post Office to irrelevance, the postal sector is actually riding on the crest of technological changes.

ICT has offered an opportunity for the Post Office to provide a natural gateway to the Information Society, especially for rural communities.

Mphathi said the domestic letter mail is on a downtrend for obvious reasons, while the business mail product (including Government Mail) was on an upward trend in correlation with national economic growth. This is where the Hybrid Mail product comes in - to provide a seamless, cost-efficient solution to mailroom challenges.

"Due to our high delivery standards, we have even formed strategic alliances with some local courier companies to carry their parcels on our routes, and we are also tapping into their international network. The Post Office remains an integral part of the economy," Mphathi said.

She admitted that the postal business is facing challenges, which include small shop space for customers, old and dilapidated infrastructure, staff shortages (in some instances driven by the ill health of employees), lack of appropriate business information and communication technologies infrastructure and financial constraints.

"The Post is known for long queues. Despite these challenges, we are striving very hard to mitigate them, as testified by today's event, the official launching of the Hybrid Mail facility, which we hope will improve our revenue generation capabilities, as well as provide our customers with an opportunity to improve on their own services." Mphathi appealed to Government to relieve the Post Office of the cost of Universal Service delivery. The Post Office often agonises over the reasonableness of carrying a few postal items at a cost that far surpasse the value generated out of that service.

"With the current spate of rising costs, we may not be able to sustain this for very long. Cost sharing with the government would go a long way towards releasing much needed funds for the development of postal infrastructure, especially in those areas where the Post Office is able to meet the commercial mandate dictated by its founding Act," she said.

Botswan Post Board Chairman, Martin Mokgatlhe, said the Post Office continues to re-examine itself on an on-going basis, adding that early this year, its five-year strategic plan known as Pinagare was reviewed.

"Our strength lies in our geographically spread infrastructure. Therefore, due to its geographic locations, other than offering just its core business, BotswanaPost also acts as an agent for various organisations in the private sector, parastatal and government departments wishing to bring their services closer to their customers, and to the community at large," Mokgatlhe said.

"For example, a few months ago, we signed an agreement with TransUnion, with which credit-active individuals can now visit selected post offices to check their credit history for a minimum fee of P30.00."

Botswana Post has signed an agreement with Sandulela (Pty) Ltd. to sell airtime in selected 38 post offices.

Mokgatlhe saluted institutions who have taken up Hybrid Mail facilities. These include the Botswana Telecommunication Corporation.

The Botswana Building Society (BBS) is also using Hybrid Mail for printing and mailing customer's statements. Native Impressions use Hybrid Mail for packaging materials on behalf of its clients.

Mokgatlhe urged the business community to fully utilise all the products and services offered by Botswana Post, especially Hybrid Mail for reducing mailing production time and costs, eliminating mail collection, sorting and delivery costs, and shortening delivery time because of its direct routing to mail centres. As one of the oldest establishments in public services, BotswanaPost has 119 post offices and 75 postal agencies countrywide.

With such a network of post offices, Botswana Post is able to connect local customers to each other every day and to over 660 000 post offices worldwide, providing a variety of services under the physical, electronic and financial dimensions of a worldwide postal communications network.

Worldwide services through BotswanaPost include letter and parcel mail, Express Mail (EMS), money transfer services, e-mail and Internet access through BotswanaPost's Business and Kitsong Centres and courier Services through Botswana Couriers.

Agency services are provided on behalf of the Department of Social Services for the payment of social benefit grants (Dituelo tsa Bagodi le tse dingwe), and Botswana Savings Bank for banking services.