• Ethiopia launches 2026-2030 digital payment strategy and instant payment system
  
  
• Plan aims to build inclusive, cash-light economy and boost financial access
  
  
• Focus on interoperability, data exchange, and cross-border payment systems
  

Ethiopia launched its 2026-2030 National Digital Payment Strategy and a new instant payment system on Tuesday, Dec. 9, during the country’s second digital payments conference in Addis Ababa.

The initiative builds on the government’s Digital Ethiopia 2025 plan and advances efforts to modernise the financial system. The strategy aims to speed up the shift to an inclusive, cash-light digital economy by expanding access to digital financial services and encouraging innovation in the sector.

“The rapid evolution of technology is driving demand for financial services. [..] Ethiopia is increasingly recognised as a fast-growing market with significant digital potential,” National Bank of Ethiopia Governor Eyob Tekalign said.

The plan sets out measures to strengthen financial inclusion, establish interoperable systems for cross-border payments, and create a national data-exchange platform to support the development of a more integrated digital market.

Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said wider access to technology is boosting economic activity and improving daily life for citizens. He noted that key services, including utility bill payments, have moved onto digital platforms, helped by the entry of Safaricom Ethiopia and better internet connectivity.

Adoni Conrad Quenum