• Tunisie Telecom launches Kashy mobile wallet with Viamobile partnership
• App enables transfers, payments, top-ups, and cash withdrawals nationwide
• Move reflects telecom shift into digital services and cashless economy growth

Tunisie Telecom launched a mobile payment application, Kashy, on Tuesday, March 17, as it moves beyond connectivity services into digital offerings.

The app was developed in partnership with Viamobile, the first payment institution licensed by the Central Bank in April 2021, the company said in a statement. The digital wallet allows users to make transfers, receive payments, top up accounts and withdraw cash.

The operator said Kashy will be rolled out across about 30 Tunisie Telecom outlets nationwide.

“With Kashy, Tunisie Telecom confirms its ambition to play a central role in the country’s digital transformation and support the shift toward a cashless economy, while expanding beyond its core business,” Chief Executive Lassâad Ben Dhiab said at the launch.

A continent-wide trend

The move comes as African telecom operators expand their services to meet rising demand for digital solutions. Mobile payments are growing rapidly across the continent, driven by low banking penetration and rapid mobile adoption.

As governments and businesses digitize, these services provide a convenient way to pay for everyday expenses such as groceries, utilities, transport and school fees. Africa’s digital payments market could reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, according to a report commissioned by Mastercard and conducted by Genesis Analytics.

Tunisie Telecom’s broader digital push

Tunisie Telecom’s expansion into digital services is still at an early stage. The company already offers businesses solutions such as energy monitoring through Smart Energy, smart street lighting via Smart Lights and cold chain monitoring through Smart Freeze. It also provides cloud services, hosting, workforce management and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection. For individuals, it offers entertainment services including streaming and gaming.

By comparison, South Africa’s MTN Group aims to become a leading provider of digital infrastructure and services in Africa. The company is building fibre-optic networks and data centres to serve both its own operations and third-party providers. It is also expanding into areas such as streaming, advertising and artificial intelligence.

Isaac K. Kassouwi