Papua New Guinea-based digital platform WantokJobs.com has announced the launch of what it describes as the Pacific’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered recruitment and digital marketplace, integrating employment opportunities, government tenders, auctions and online payments into a single platform.
The announcement was made in a media release issued on October 27, 2026, highlighting the platform’s integration with the Kina Bank Internet Payment Gateway (IPG), allowing Visa Card and Mastercard holders to make instant payments directly through the platform.
The new digital marketplace brings together 11 categories of users and seven marketplaces under one platform, allowing individuals, businesses, government agencies and institutions to conduct transactions in Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK).
WantokJobs.com Consultant Nicholas Wakan said the platform was developed to address the challenges faced by Papua New Guineans and Pacific Islanders in accessing reliable digital services.
“Papua New Guinea and the Pacific have been underserved by genuinely local, end-to-end digital marketplaces,” Mr Wakan said.
“WantokJobs changes that. We built the whole pipeline from finding work to posting a tender to winning an auction and we wire it straight into Kina Bank so a card payment just works.”
He said the integration of Kina Bank’s Internet Payment Gateway eliminates the need for manual bank deposit slips and lengthy payment confirmation processes, enabling Visa Card and Mastercard holders to complete payments instantly and securely.
“No manual bank-deposit slips, no waiting days to confirm a receipt. It is the platform the Pacific has been waiting for,” he said.
The platform caters for job seekers, employers, training providers, educational institutions, sales agents, social media creators, auction buyers and sellers, government agencies, mentors and administrative operators.
For job seekers, WantokJobs.com offers AI-powered CV parsing, smart job matching, WhatsApp alerts and one-tap applications, while employers can advertise vacancies, screen candidates and manage recruitment processes.
Government departments and agencies can also use the platform to publish tenders, expressions of interest, public notices and other procurement opportunities.
Businesses and individuals can participate in online auctions, advertise products and services, and conduct transactions through the integrated Kina Bank Internet Payment Gateway.
Training institutions and colleges can advertise courses, manage student enrolments, collect fees and issue digital certificates.
Mr Wakan said the platform also creates income-generating opportunities for sales agents and digital content creators through referral commissions and promotional activities.
According to WantokJobs.com, the platform currently covers 13 countries, including Papua New Guinea, with payments processed in Kina through Kina Bank’s Internet Payment Gateway.
The company says the initiative is designed to improve access to employment, strengthen business participation, support government procurement transparency and expand digital economic opportunities throughout Papua New Guinea and the wider Pacific region.
The launch represents another development in PNG’s growing digital economy, providing a locally developed platform connecting job seekers, employers, businesses and government agencies through a single online marketplace.