Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified service provider to supply, install, support, and maintain a comprehensive prepaid vending system and third-party vending solutions for Mohokare Local Municipality. The system aims to facilitate efficient management of electricity and water prepaid services, enable integration with existing financial and operational systems, and support revenue collection, arrears management, and active TID rollover processes. The project seeks to enhance service delivery, ensure compliance with relevant standards, and promote local economic participation through preferential procurement policies.

Scope

The scope of work includes:

• Supply, delivery, installation, and commissioning of a fully integrated prepaid vending system for electricity and water meters.
• Provision of a cloud-based back-end, billing system integration, and distributed third-party vending channels.
• Support for stand-by operations, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
• Migration of existing data, including static and historical transactions, to the new system.
• Development of a web-based management interface for reporting and system administration.
• Integration with municipal systems such as SAMRAS and mSCOA compliance.
• Provision of hardware, software, and network infrastructure compliant with standards like SABS 1524, IEC 1036, and STS specifications.
• Support for various functionalities including arrears management, blocking, up-front vending, engineering vouchers, key management, and TID rollover.
• Training, support, and maintenance services over a period of three years.
• Site visits, demonstrations, and reference checks with existing municipal clients.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements for the tender include:

System Configuration & Infrastructure

• TCP/IP compliant hardware and software capable of operating over LAN/WAN, GPRS, 3G, WIFI, ADSL, and Diginet networks.
• Support for Windows Server 2012 or later, Windows 8 or later operating systems.
• Management and vending servers located off-site with disaster recovery and high availability configurations.
• Vending workstations at each vending office, with capacity to manage at least 8,650 consumers/meters and store 10 million transactions over five years.
• Relational database system with real-time data synchronization, immediate updates, and secure access via SSL.

System Functionality & Features

• Integration with Eskom XMLVend 2.1 or later standards for third-party vending.
• Support for pre-paid vending over internet/intranet, including mobile and online purchases.
• API support for integration with third-party vending mechanisms such as cash handling machines and self-service terminals.
• Low bandwidth operation capability, optimized for networks like GPRS and EDGE.
• Compatibility with existing financial systems (e.g., SAMRAS) and mSCOA compliance for data exchange and reporting.
• Secure web-based management and reporting interfaces with SSL encryption.
• Support for multiple tariffs, block tariffs, VAT calculations, and flexible tariff structures.
• Account management features including arrears deduction, blocking based on arrears, and partial/full arrear recovery options.
• Generation and management of engineering vouchers, audit trails, and key management for STS encryption.
• Support for free issues, replacement tokens, and active TID rollover processes with certification compliance.
• Robust reporting capabilities including standard, customized, and ad-hoc reports with export options.
• Support for user access rights, password management, and audit trails.
• Integration with third-party vending sites, retail outlets, banks, and informal vendors, with remittance and process management.

Security & Compliance

• Mutually authenticated SSL certificates for all interconnections.
• Compliance with STS Edition 2 certification, IEC standards, and relevant national and international standards.
• Encryption key management supporting STS-6 and Prism modules.
• Secure handling of customer data, transaction records, and financial information.
• Tamper monitoring and notification mechanisms.

Operational & Support Requirements

• Remote management and system monitoring capabilities for administrators and support staff.
• Migration of existing data, including historical transactions and meter information.
• Provision of training, technical support, and maintenance over three years.
• Site visits and demonstrations to validate system functionality.
• Reference letters from at least five municipal clients demonstrating successful deployment and support.

Additional Technical Conditions

• Full compliance with the detailed specifications, standards, and interoperability requirements listed in the tender documents.
• Provision of detailed network diagrams, disaster recovery plans, and system limitations.
• Demonstration of integration capabilities with existing municipal systems and third-party vendors.
• Adherence to procurement policies, including preferential points for local participation and black ownership.