Ethiopia is set to roll out its first-ever homegrown credit card, thanks to a partnership between UAE-based fintech SanuPay and global payments software provider OpenWay.
The project will help the East African country advance towards a cashless future and is powered by OpenWay’s Way4 digital payments platform.
Alfred Gachaga, CEO of SanuPay said with backing from SantimPay, a licensed payment system operator under the National Bank of Ethiopia, this initiative is set to transform the nation's banking and usher in a new age of digital payments
“We have selected the best-in-class solution to provide best-in-class payment services in Ethiopia. By partnering with OpenWay and deploying Way4, we are enabling a new era of card issuing in Ethiopia and beyond,” he said.
SanuPay plans to issue 4 million debit and prepaid cards and 5,000 Visa and Mastercard credit cards in Ethiopia. The rollout will also include 10,000 point-of-sale terminals and 200 ATMs across the country, all running on the flexible and configurable Way4 platform.
Oromia Bank is expected to be the first to issue the new credit cards and will also launch a co-branded loyalty card in partnership with Sheba Miles, Ethiopia’s flagship frequent flyer program.
Hermann Mike, Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at OpenWay, added: “Ethiopia is not only launching its first domestic credit card but is laying the foundation for a modern, inclusive, and interoperable payments landscape."
Beyond Ethiopia, SanuPay is setting its sights on Kenya and Rwanda, where it is working with banks and fintechs to enhance card processing, cross-border remittances, and mobile payment solutions.
Mike emphasized that with Africa’s credit card adoption still lagging behind mobile wallets, this development is more than just symbolic. “It’s a bold step toward building a cashless, digitally inclusive East African economy,” he added.
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