Payments/ET
Ethiopia
ISO ET · 3 schemes
Summary
- Telebirr 75M subscriber target by 2028
- M-Pesa LeHulum telco-agnostic (2024)
- EthSwitch QR interoperable (EMVCo)
- ETB 18.5 trillion annual digital ($119B)
- EthSwitch integration Oct 2024
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE)
- Website: https://nbe.gov.et/
- Role: Monetary policy, digital payment strategy
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial Bank of Ethiopia | State | CBE Birr |
| 2 | Dashen Bank | Private | Amole |
| 3 | Awash Bank | Private | Awash Mobile |
| 4 | Abyssinia Bank | Private | BoA Mobile |
| 5 | Cooperative Bank of Oromia | Private | Coopay |
Market Structure
- Telebirr: Ethio Telecom dominant
- M-Pesa: Safaricom Ethiopia
- EthSwitch: National switch
- 15+ banks: Connected
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| EthSwitch | National | Payment switch | Active |
| Telebirr | Ethio Telecom | Mobile money | Dominant |
| M-Pesa | Safaricom | Mobile money | Active (2024) |
Digital Payment Statistics
- ETB 18.5 trillion annual ($119B)
- Telebirr target: 75M subscribers
- 21.3 trillion birr by 2028
EthSwitch Integration
- 15+ domestic banks
- Mobile wallet connections
- Interoperability enabled
- Real-time processing
QR code standards
EthSwitch QR (EMVCo)
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard | EMVCo |
| Type | Interoperable |
| Operator | EthSwitch |
| Status | Rolling out |
Interoperable QR Initiative
- EMVCo standard alignment
- Open-loop QR codes
- Cross-platform transactions
- Merchant expansion
Current QR Challenges
- Closed-loop systems (Telebirr)
- Platform-specific QR
- Limited interoperability
- App-only restrictions
M-Pesa QR Features
- EthQR code payments
- Merchant acceptance
- Bank-issued QR support
- Cross-platform potential
Mobile payment apps
| App | Provider | QR | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telebirr | Ethio Telecom | Yes | Full wallet |
| M-Pesa LeHulum | Safaricom | Yes | Telco-agnostic |
| Bank Apps | Various | Limited | Banking |
Telebirr
- Ethio Telecom service
- Merchant POS payments
- QR code scanning
- Bill payments
- 75M target by 2028
M-Pesa LeHulum (2024)
- Telco-agnostic platform
- Any SIM card works
- Fayda Digital ID eKYC
- EthSwitch integrated (Oct 2024)
- EthQR acceptance
M-Pesa Features
- Send/receive money
- Merchant payments
- Bill payments
- Airtime purchase
- Short-term loans
- Currency exchange
Schemes
| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EthSwitch QR | EMVCo | Interop | Rolling out | ethswitch-qr |
| Telebirr | Mobile money | QR | 75M target | — |
| M-Pesa | Mobile money | QR | 2024 | — |
Sources
- Connecting Africa - M-Pesa Telco-Agnostic
- Birr Metrics - M-Pesa Launch
- Ecofin Agency - M-Pesa EthSwitch
- Addis Insight - Interoperable QR
- Ethio Telecom - Telebirr
- M-Pesa Ethiopia Official
- We Are Tech - Digital Strategy
- AfricaNenda - Ethiopia Digital
Full country report
Schemes
Standards
Primary · 1