About this module
Almost every business in Ghana now runs on a phone. This module teaches you to use one safely and well, and to earn by helping others with mobile money, payments and forms.
Who it is for. People with little or no formal schooling. National Proficiency I is a bridging level for people with minimal education; no formal certificate is needed to enter. Trainees with disabilities are welcome: the module uses phone accessibility tools from the first day.
Why this skill
- At the end of 2025 Ghana had 80.5 million registered mobile money accounts, 26.7 million active accounts and 491,000 active agents, and in December alone people moved GH¢518.4 billion.
- Many government numbers now use the Ghana Card: since April 2021 the Ghana Card number is your tax number (TIN). People need help with these forms.
- In 2020 MTN and Mobile Money Ltd, with the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations and the deaf association, set up 100 persons with disabilities as mobile money agents, each with a disability-friendly kiosk, a phone and GH¢4,000 starting capital.
- Only 7% of visually impaired Ghanaians owned a smartphone in 2020. Trained, confident users can change that.
CTVET status. The national qualifications framework page does not list a digital literacy programme at any level, and no CTVET National Proficiency I unit for digital skills or mobile money was found. This module is not a CTVET curriculum. Free national programmes exist: One Million Coders and Microsoft-certified courses through Ghana Digital Centres and the Youth Employment Agency. Graduates can move on to these.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent from what your assessor sees, asks and reads in your logbook. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme, which uses about 30% in school and 70% at the workplace.
Unit 1 · Stay safe with phones and money
Fraudsters target new users and agents every day. One shared PIN can empty a wallet. Learn the tricks before they are used on you.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Protect PINs and accounts | never shares a PIN or code; sets a screen lock and two-step verification |
| 1.2 Spot scams | names five common scams and the warning signs |
| 1.3 Report fraud | knows to call 292 and the provider |
| 1.4 Protect customer data | keeps customers' details private |
Range. Personal and customer phones and wallets. Evidence. Role plays; oral questions; settings checked.
The golden rules
- No one from MTN, Telecel or AT will ever ask for your PIN or a code. MTN says its official calls come only from 0244 300 000.
- Never share your PIN by text, WhatsApp or phone; check every request; report fraud to your provider and the police.
- Turn on two-step verification on WhatsApp. The Cyber Security Authority says WhatsApp account takeover is the biggest threat.
Common scams
| Scam | How it works |
|---|---|
| "Wrong transfer" | A fake text says money came to you by mistake and asks you to send it back. The "refund" comes from your own money. |
| Fake customer care | A caller pretends to be from the network and asks for your PIN or a code. |
| SIM swap | Fraudsters collect your details and move your number to a new SIM to take over your wallet. |
| Phishing links | A message with a link asks you to "verify" your account. |
| WhatsApp takeover | Someone asks for the six-digit code WhatsApp sent you, then takes your account. |
Report it
Call or text 292, the Cyber Security Authority's 24-hour line, or WhatsApp 0501603111. The Authority says to call 292 before sending money to anyone suspicious, because money already withdrawn may never come back.
Customers' data
Ghana's Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843) gives people rights over their personal data and created the Data Protection Commission. Never keep, photograph or share customers' ID cards, PINs or details beyond what the job needs.
Scam or safe?
- A text says "GH¢500 sent to you by mistake, please return".
- A caller from 0244 300 000 tells you about a new service but asks for nothing.
- A "network officer" asks you for the code just sent to your phone.
- Your WhatsApp asks you to set a PIN for two-step verification.
- A friend's WhatsApp asks you to send GH¢300 urgently.
Lock it down
- Set a screen lock on your phone.
- Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp.
- Save 292 in your contacts.
- Role play: your partner plays a fraudster. Refuse and end the call.
Warn your family
Teach two family members the "never share your PIN" rule and the 292 number. Write who you taught.
Unit 2 · Use a smartphone well
A smartphone is a shop, a bank, a post office and a library in your pocket, if you know how to use it.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Operate the phone | makes calls, sends messages, installs and updates apps |
| 2.2 Manage data and money | checks balance and data; saves data |
| 2.3 Use accessibility tools | turns on and uses the right accessibility feature |
Range. Android smartphones. Evidence. Observation of tasks.
Data costs
Data is expensive in Ghana: one study put 1 GB at about US$0.40, while the communications regulator put it at US$0.96. Save data: use Wi-Fi when you can, turn off auto-play of videos, and update apps on Wi-Fi.
Accessibility tools on Android
- TalkBack reads the screen aloud and has a braille keyboard.
- Select to Speak reads chosen text aloud.
- Magnification enlarges the screen.
- Voice Access lets you control the phone by voice.
On a computer, NVDA is a free screen reader. A national course has already trained 600 visually impaired Ghanaians to use screen readers.
Phone skills checklist
- Make a call, send an SMS and a WhatsApp voice note.
- Check airtime and data balance; buy a data bundle.
- Install and update an app from the Play Store.
- Turn on TalkBack, use it for one task, and turn it off.
- Take a clear photo of a document.
Data diary
For three days, note how much data you use and on what. Find one way to save data.
Unit 3 · Work and serve customers online
Many people need help with forms, email and printing. That help is a service you can sell.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Use email and WhatsApp Business | creates an email account; sends attachments; sets up a business profile |
| 3.2 Help with forms | fills a practice online form accurately and checks it with the customer |
| 3.3 Type and print | types and prints a simple document or CV |
Range. Email, WhatsApp Business, online forms, printing. Evidence. Completed practice form; printed CV.
WhatsApp Business
The free WhatsApp Business app gives you a business profile with your name, address and opening hours, and a free catalogue of items with prices.
Forms people need
Since April 2021 the Ghana Card number has been the tax number for individuals, and SSNIT numbers are moving to the Ghana Card. Always let the customer check every detail before you submit, and never keep copies of their documents.
Digital service desk
- Create an email address and send an email with a photo attached.
- Set up a WhatsApp Business profile with hours and a catalogue of three services and prices.
- Fill a practice job application form with a partner's (made-up) details; your partner checks it.
- Type and print a one-page CV.
Help someone
Help a neighbour with one real digital task (with their permission, never their PIN). Write what you did.
Unit 4 · Understand mobile money
Know the rules and limits so you can explain them clearly to customers.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Explain mobile money | explains cash-in, cash-out, transfer and interoperability |
| 4.2 Know limits and fees | states wallet limits and customer fees |
| 4.3 Know the law | names the Act and regulator |
Range. MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money. Evidence. Oral questions; customer explanation role play.
The rules
- Mobile money is regulated by the Bank of Ghana under the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987); e-money companies are licensed and recruit agents.
- Since 2018, money can be sent between networks and to banks (interoperability).
- The 1% e-levy was abolished; the repeal took effect on 2 April 2025.
MTN limits and fees (from 1 March 2024)
| Account | Daily | Monthly | Maximum balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | GH¢3,000 | GH¢10,000 | GH¢5,000 |
| Medium | GH¢15,000 | No limit | GH¢40,000 |
| Enhanced | GH¢25,000 | No limit | GH¢75,000 |
Customers pay 1% to cash out amounts below GH¢2,000, and GH¢20 for GH¢2,000 and above. Check the current figures with your network: they change.
Explain it
Explain cash-in, cash-out and the cash-out fee to a family member. Write any questions they asked.
Unit 5 · Become a mobile money agent
An agent turns cash into e-money and back again. Every transaction earns a small commission.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Know the requirements | lists the documents and float needed |
| 5.2 Serve a customer | does cash-in and cash-out correctly, with ID recorded |
| 5.3 Work out commission | calculates commission on transactions |
Range. Practice with demo accounts and play money. Evidence. Role-play transactions; calculations.
Requirements
A business guide says MTN agents need business registration, a tax number, a Ghana Card, a permanent shop or container, and a float of about GH¢4,000–10,000 plus GH¢1,000–2,000 cash; you apply at an MTN service centre, MTN inspects the site, and there is no registration fee. This is not an official MTN document: confirm at your nearest service centre.
Since April 2021, MTN agents must record a valid ID (such as the Ghana Card) before any cash-out.
Commission
From March 2024, MTN agents earn 0.4% on transactions up to GH¢2,000, and GH¢8 on GH¢2,000 and above. A table supplied to the author adds GH¢0.20 for cash-outs below GH¢50. It has no named source, so ask your MTN service centre for the current table in writing.
Count your commission
In one day you do: 20 cash-outs of GH¢100, 10 of GH¢500, and 2 of GH¢3,000. (1) Commission on each group? (2) Total for the day? (3) About how much in 25 working days?
Agent role play
- With play money and a demo phone, serve a cash-in and a cash-out.
- Check and record the customer's ID for the cash-out.
- Count cash twice, in front of the customer.
- Record each transaction in the book.
Visit an agent
Ask an agent (politely, when not busy) what they find hardest about the work. Write it down.
Unit 6 · Run the agent business safely
Two things keep an agent in business: having enough float and cash, and not being robbed.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Manage float | balances e-float and cash; plans top-ups |
| 6.2 Keep records | records every transaction; balances at day end |
| 6.3 Stay safe | follows cash security rules |
Range. Kiosk or shop. Evidence. Float plan; balanced daily record; oral questions.
Float
You need cash to pay out and e-float to receive deposits. Low capital and poor planning cause shortages; use your records to predict busy days, and use super agents, banks or microfinance for top-ups.
Cash security
Three mobile money agents were killed in February 2025. The e-money issuers' chamber advises: close early, avoid holding large amounts of cash, avoid isolated places, use CCTV and alarms, register your shop with the nearest police station, and report suspicious people.
Agents say fraud is still rising: their association reported about US$1.3 million lost in the first quarter of 2026.
Close the day
- Start the day with a set float and cash (play money).
- Run ten practice transactions.
- At the end, balance cash + e-float against your records.
- Find and explain any difference.
Safety plan
Write a one-page safety plan for a kiosk: opening hours, where cash is kept, who to call, how cash is moved.
Unit 7 · Your location, your business, your brand
Where you stand, what else you sell, and how people find you decide how much you earn. This unit helps you move from "just another agent" to the trusted shop everyone recommends.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Choose a location | compares two sites using the location checklist |
| 7.2 Add income ideas | plans at least two extra services |
| 7.3 Market yourself | sets up signage, prices and a WhatsApp Business catalogue |
| 7.4 Cost permits | lists registration and permit costs |
Range. A real or planned business site. Evidence. Location report; business plan; marketing samples.
Choosing a location
Towns are already crowded with agents, which means hard competition and thin margins, while many rural and remote areas have no permanent agent. In a study of Ghana's mobile money markets, most agents said their markets could take more vendors; customers complained of failed transactions, absent agents, overcharging and prices not displayed.
- Footfall. Many people pass daily: markets, lorry stations, junctions, schools.
- Few competitors close by, or a clear way to be better than them.
- Safety. Lit, busy, near other shops; not isolated.
- Float access. A bank or super agent nearby for top-ups.
- Power and signal. Good network; light at night.
- Access for all. Level ground for wheelchair users.
- Permit. Allowed by the Assembly; not on a road reserve.
Compare two sites
Walk to two possible sites. Count people passing in 15 minutes and agents within 100 metres. Score each on the checklist.
Extra income ideas
Ghanaian vendors combine mobile money with printing, photocopying, typing, scanning, binding, laminating and CV writing. Other ideas:
- Bill payments: ECG prepaid and postpaid can be paid through GhanaPay; water bills through Hubtel.
- Form-filling for Ghana Card, tax and SSNIT tasks.
- Airtime and data sales, phone charging, and helping small shops set up WhatsApp catalogues.
- Go to the customer: in one study, roving agents who travelled to customers saw cash deposits rise about 15 times.
Market yourself
- Show your prices clearly: hidden prices make customers distrust agents.
- Always have float: agents say reliability is what keeps customers.
- Signage and fixed opening hours.
- WhatsApp Business profile and catalogue of your services.
- Be polite, quick and honest; give change correctly; thank customers and ask them to tell friends.
Permits in Sekondi-Takoradi
| STMA 2025 annual fee | GH¢ |
|---|---|
| Mobile money vendor, small | 270 |
| Mobile money vendor, medium | 330 |
| Mobile money vendor, large | 460 |
| Business centre (printing, internet), under 11 workstations | 100 |
| Container permit, per square metre | 20 |
My business plan
- Choose your best site from the exercise.
- Write a one-page plan: services, prices, start-up costs (float, kiosk, phone, printer, permit), opening hours, safety plan.
- Make a price board and a WhatsApp Business catalogue.
- Present to the class.
Ten customers
Ask ten people near your chosen site which services they would pay for. Record their answers.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Agent | A person licensed to do cash-in and cash-out for a network |
| Cash-in / cash-out | Changing cash into e-money / e-money into cash |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| E-float | The e-money in the agent's wallet |
| Interoperability | Sending money between different networks and banks |
| PIN | Your secret number. Never share it |
| SIM swap | Moving a phone number to a new SIM card |
| Screen reader | Software that reads the screen aloud (TalkBack, NVDA) |
| Two-step verification | An extra PIN that protects your account |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: security settings done; scam role play
- Unit 2: phone skills checklist; data diary
- Unit 3: email, WhatsApp Business profile, practice form, CV
- Unit 4: explanation to family
- Unit 5: transaction role plays; commission calculations
- Unit 6: daily balance sheets; safety plan
- Unit 7: site comparison; business plan; price board
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- Who may ask for your mobile money PIN?
- What number do you call to report cyber fraud?
- What is the "wrong transfer" scam?
- Name one Android tool for blind users.
- What must an MTN agent record before a cash-out?
- What is the agent commission on a GH¢100 cash-out?
- What is interoperability?
- Name three cash security rules.
- Name two extra services an agent can sell.
- Why should you display your prices?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: the Cyber Security Authority's public advisories; your network's agent guide; Google's Android accessibility help.
What this module does not cover: coding, computer repair, Telecel and AT agent rules (not found officially), and typical agent incomes (no reliable figure).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.