Arifpay Becomes Ethiopia’s First Licensed Private Switch Operator
This milestone marks a major advancement in Ethiopia’s digital finance ecosystem and aligns with the Ethiopian National Digital Payments Strategy 2030, which aims to accelerate innovation and promote financial inclusion nationwide.
Arifpay Financial Technologies S.C. has been officially recognized by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) as the country’s first licensed private switch operator. This milestone marks a major advancement in Ethiopia’s digital finance ecosystem and aligns with the Ethiopian National Digital Payments Strategy 2030, which aims to accelerate innovation and promote financial inclusion nationwide.
As the first private switch operator, Arifpay will enable real-time transactions across banks, microfinance institutions (MFIs), SACCOs, wallets, insurance providers, and other payment service operators. The platform will also support bulk payments for payroll, suppliers, and large-scale disbursements, while centralizing merchant acquiring so that businesses can accept payments from multiple channels through one integrated system.
The company’s solutions will extend to credit scoring platforms for merchants and consumers, super apps that simplify mobile banking services, and enhanced remittance tools for faster and more efficient cross-border money transfers. Its flagship offerings include POS systems, payment gateways, interoperable QR services, and Arif Billers, a product that aggregates bill payments for both government and private institutions.
Arifpay is also preparing to launch its Super Agent Platform, which will consolidate all agent services into a single app, making it easier to scale adoption across the country. The initiative is expected to play a central role in advancing Ethiopia’s 2030 financial inclusion goals by expanding access to digital services in rural and underserved areas.
The company’s switch infrastructure is engineered to manage high transaction volumes securely, ensure instant settlements, and support the next generation of payment solutions. By doing so, Arifpay aims to strengthen merchants, fintechs, government services, and the broader economy with a modern and inclusive digital payments framework.
