SanuPay and OpenWay have partnered to roll out Ethiopia’s first locally issued credit card, a significant step toward modernising the country’s financial system.
The new card platform operates on OpenWay’s Way4 software, enabling end‑to‑end functionality for issuing, acquiring, switching and managing mobile wallets. SanuPay will issue four million debit and prepaid cards and an initial batch of 5,000 Visa or Mastercard branded credit cards.
To support nationwide access, the rollout includes deployment of 10,000 point‑of‑sale terminals and 200 ATMs, all integrated with the Way4 system.
Oromia Bank is set to issue the first domestic credit cards and plans to launch a co‑branded loyalty card in partnership with Sheba Mile.
SantimPay, the National Bank-licensed payment system operator, underpins the project by providing secure local switching and processing infrastructure in support of Ethiopia’s shift toward a cashless economy.
SanuPay’s CEO Alfred Gachaga said the partnership with OpenWay delivers scalable and compliant infrastructure for digital finance transformation across East Africa. OpenWay’s Sub‑Saharan Africa regional director Hermann Mike noted the initiative builds a modern, inclusive and interoperable payments ecosystem in Ethiopia.
Previously, Ethiopia relied heavily on mobile money—Telebirr has over 51 million users—but access to credit cards remained limited. This launch introduces formalised credit facilities tied to local currency accounts and full interoperability with POS systems and ATMs.
Under Ethiopia’s Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, the initiative supports broader goals of financial inclusion, government e‑services expansion and economic formalisation. The card system is expected to improve access to credit for small businesses and urban and rural consumers alike.
Plans are underway to extend the SanuPay‑OpenWay model to other East African markets, including Kenya and Rwanda, where work is ongoing on virtual card, tokenisation and mobile wallet infrastructures.
This launch marks a milestone in Ethiopia’s financial evolution and represents a replicable model for fintech-led infrastructure transformation across Africa.
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