SanuPay, a Kenyan fintech company, in partnership with global payment software provider OpenWay, has launched Ethiopia’s first domestic credit card. This milestone marks a major advancement in the country’s financial sector as it moves toward modernized payment solutions.

The new domestic credit card system will issue approximately four million debit and prepaid cards, alongside around 5,000 credit cards. These cards will operate on Visa and Mastercard networks and be supported by OpenWay’s Way4 payment processing platform, which offers a comprehensive suite of functionalities including issuing, acquiring, and mobile wallet support.

The rollout will also introduce 10,000 new point-of-sale (POS) terminals and 200 ATMs across Ethiopia, expanding access to electronic payments and banking services. Oromia Bank is the first financial institution slated to issue credit cards under this program, with plans to launch a co-branded loyalty card in partnership with Sheba Miles, a rewards program.

SanuPay’s CEO Alfred Gachaga emphasized the strategic importance of leveraging OpenWay’s Way4 platform for its scalability and compliance, which is essential to supporting Ethiopia’s growing digital payments ecosystem. OpenWay’s Sub-Saharan regional director Hermann Mike expressed pride in facilitating Ethiopia’s progress toward a more inclusive and interoperable financial system.

Source: Yahoo finance