SanuPay has joined forces with OpenWay to introduce Ethiopia’s first locally issued credit card—a landmark development in the country’s financial modernization efforts.
The card platform is powered by OpenWay’s Way4 software, delivering comprehensive end-to-end capabilities for issuing, acquiring, switching, and managing mobile wallets. SanuPay plans to distribute four million debit and prepaid cards, along with an initial issuance of 5,000 Visa or Mastercard branded credit cards.
To ensure widespread accessibility, the rollout includes the installation of 10,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals and 200 ATMs, all seamlessly integrated with the Way4 system.
Oromia Bank will be the first to issue the domestic credit cards and is preparing to launch a co-branded loyalty card in partnership with Sheba Mile.
The project is anchored by SantimPay, a payment system operator licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia, which provides the secure local switching and processing infrastructure essential to the country’s push toward a cashless economy.
Alfred Gachaga, CEO of SanuPay, emphasized that the collaboration with OpenWay brings a scalable, compliant digital finance infrastructure to East Africa. Hermann Mike, OpenWay’s regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted that the initiative lays the foundation for a modern, interoperable, and inclusive payments ecosystem in Ethiopia.
Historically, Ethiopia has leaned heavily on mobile money services such as Telebirr, which boasts over 51 million users. However, credit card access has been minimal. The new system introduces formal credit facilities linked to local currency accounts and ensures full interoperability with both POS terminals and ATMs.
Aligned with the national Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy, the initiative contributes to broader goals including financial inclusion, expansion of government e-services, and economic formalization. It is poised to enhance credit access for small businesses and consumers in both urban and rural areas.
There are also plans to expand the SanuPay-OpenWay model into additional East African markets, including Kenya and Rwanda, with ongoing developments in virtual cards, tokenization, and mobile wallet technology.
This launch represents a pivotal moment in Ethiopia’s financial transformation and serves as a scalable model for fintech-driven infrastructure development across the African continent.
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