EthSwitch Posts ETB 2.6 Billion Pre-Tax Profit as Digital Payments Surge

EthSwitch,  Ethiopia’s national payments switch, closed the 2025/26 financial year with gross profit before tax of ETB 2.6 billion, underscoring the accelerating adoption of interoperable digital payments across one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing financial markets.

During the fiscal year, the company processed 387 million interoperable transactions with a combined value of ETB 1.26 trillion across its network, reflecting continued growth in digital financial services and increasing integration among Ethiopia’s financial institutions and payment ecosystem.

Person-to-person (P2P) transfers accounted for the largest share of activity, reaching 242.6 million transactions valued at ETB 1.06 trillion. ATM interoperability generated 131.5 million transactions worth ETB 189.2 billion, while point-of-sale transactions totaled 3.9 million with a value of ETB 10.7 billion. Transactions processed through ETHQR reached more than 551,000, representing ETB 6.8 billion in value.

The results cap a milestone year for EthSwitch as Ethiopia continues to expand its digital payments infrastructure and pursue broader financial inclusion objectives.

Among the year’s key achievements was the launch of EthSwitch’s new five-year strategic plan covering 2026/27–2030/31, which outlines the organisation’s next phase of growth and innovation. The company also completed the full migration of person-to-person transfers onto the EthioPay Instant Payment System (IPS), strengthening the country’s real-time payments capabilities and advancing the development of a modern interoperable payments ecosystem.

EthioPay IPS, Ethiopia’s national instant payments platform, was recognized by AfricaNenda as a matured instant payment system during the reporting period. The platform also achieved a new operational milestone by EthioPay IPS processing more than one million P2P transactions in a single day, representing ETB 5.1 billion in transaction value.

EthSwitch further strengthened stakeholder engagement through the launch of the EthioPay brand and the hosting of the Ethiopian Digital Payment Conference 2.0, which brought together senior policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, and industry leaders. The event was opened by Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Temesgen Tiruneh and the National Bank of Ethiopia Governor H.E. Dr. Eyob Tekalign, highlighting the strategic importance of digital payments within Ethiopia’s economic transformation agenda.

As part of efforts to accelerate instant payment adoption, EthSwitch also convened a CEO-level executive workshop in collaboration with Glenbrook Partners, bringing together leaders from across the country’s financial services sector.

The organisation’s progress received international recognition when it was named Best Financial Inclusion Technology Initiative in Africa at the TAB Global Business Achievement Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Looking ahead, EthSwitch plans to build on the momentum generated over the past year as it pursues its vision of enabling a more connected, inclusive, and interoperable digital payments ecosystem for Ethiopia.

As the operator of the country’s shared payments infrastructure, EthSwitch plays a central role in linking banks, microfinance institutions, mobile money providers, and payment service providers, supporting the broader transition toward a digital economy in a market of more than 130 million people.