OPay Egypt - Afrikan Heroes

With Over $50B in Sales Volume, Opay Kicks off Process to Obtain New $60M Digital Banking License in Egypt

July 30, 2023

Opay, a prominent and rapidly expanding provider of financial technology and electronic payments solutions, has unveiled its ambitious plan to apply for a license to establish a digital bank in Egypt with a capital of $60 million. This decision comes in response to the recent regulations for licensing and registration of digital banks, as well as control and supervision measures, set forth by the Central Bank of Egypt.

The move reflects Opay’s unwavering commitment to play a vital role in developing the Egyptian digital economy, supporting the nation’s digital transformation agenda, fostering financial inclusion, and encouraging a shift away from cash-dependency. Leveraging its expertise in offering top-notch, swift, and secure financial technology solutions in markets across the Middle East, North Africa, Nigeria, and Pakistan, Opay aims to elevate its services through innovation and cutting-edge technological solutions, catering to the specific needs of the Egyptian market.

The digital bank will enable Opay to offer a host of services, including lending, savings, and card services, all conducted online, sparing customers the need to visit physical branches. Additionally, Opay will continue providing its existing array of services, such as payment acceptance through points of sale, digital payment gateways, and electronic wallets.

Expressing enthusiasm for the prospect of obtaining a license for a digital bank in Egypt, Mahmoud Khedr, Director of Business Development & Partnership at Opay, emphasized the company’s readiness to work hand in hand with the Central Bank of Egypt and other relevant authorities. He highlighted Opay’s remarkable track record of 5 years in the financial technology sector across various countries, which positions the company as a formidable force, poised for success and achievement in Egypt.

*Mahmoud Khedr is the Director of Business Development & Partnership at Opay. Credits: Opay Egypt*

Khedr further elaborated on Opay’s remarkable accomplishments in the previous year, boasting an impressive sales volume of over $50 billion in the region. Moreover, Opay’s application has garnered approximately 30 million users across all the countries it operates in. With aspirations to surpass these milestones in the current year and achieve unprecedented record rates, Opay is determined to pave the way for even greater achievements.

Extending gratitude to the leadership of the Central Bank for its initiatives in creating a supportive climate for the financial technology industry, Khedr commended the unwavering support provided to the sector. He acknowledged the visionary directives of the Central Bank’s leaders in advancing the digital economy, underscoring their significant role in developing and nurturing the financial technology sector.

With Opay’s drive, expertise, and solid track record, the company is poised to revolutionize the digital banking landscape in Egypt, ushering in a new era of convenience, efficiency, and financial empowerment for customers across the nation.

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Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

OPay Receives Provisional Approval From Central Bank Of Egypt To Issue Prepaid Cards

April 15, 2022

OPay Egypt, the leading fintech and electronic payments startup, said that it has received preliminary approval from Egypt’s Central Bank to issue prepaid cards via its OPay app.

Prepaid cards will be distributed in partnership with the Egyptian Cards Company, the largest card distributor in the local and regional market.
OPay Egypt wants to supply all electronic payment solutions in the local market with this latest step.

Hesham Ezz El-Din, Digital and Cards Business line director at OPay Egypt

Customers will be able to load money onto the prepaid cards and then use them to make cash withdrawals and purchases without needing to have a bank account.

These cards offer OPay users a comprehensive suite of financial and payment services.

“We are pleased with our cooperation with the Egyptian Cards Company to issue our prepaid cards. The new cards will provide additional paying options that will greatly contribute in our efforts to provide the best non-banking services to our customers through a smooth and easy payment system represented in the prepaid cards,” Mahmoud khedr, Director of business development and strategic partnerships for Egypt and North Africa at OPay, said. “The prepaid cards will allow our customers to use the cards in paying and purchasing, and meets their financial needs wherever they are.”

He underlined that this partnership will bolster efforts to achieve financial inclusion in Egypt, and characterized it as a practical implementation of Egypt’s National Payments Council’s plan.

In this regard, Khedr highlighted the President’s economic reform effort and the Central Bank of Egypt’s actions, which aided in drawing foreign investors to the Egyptian market, particularly in the payments and collections and fintech sectors.

He also commended the role of The Central Bank’s decisions that “guaranteed an atmosphere of competitiveness, that broadly benefits Egyptian citizens by providing them with the best financial solutions that fit all segments of the society.”

Hesham Ezz El-Din, Digital and Cards Business line director at OPay Egypt, said: “We are working hard to reinforce our presence in the Egyptian local market and offering new electronic payments and collections solutions, as well as supporting our customers through an inclusive system that helps in pushing digital transformation forward and supports financial inclusion.”

These steps, Ezz El-Din said “help us arrive at a non-cash society in light of the strategy of The Central Bank of Egypt and the directive of the Egyptian state within the 2030 digital vision.”

Ezz El-Din said that OPay’s prepaid cards will be connected with OPay’s mobile app, in order to guarantee that the service Meets the needs of the customers.

Connecting the card with the app will allow customers to request the issuance or cancellation of the prepaid card.

Ezz El-Din reiterated that the move also comes as a part of the company’s concerted efforts to expand its branches all over the country.

“OPay seeks to offer the best electronic services in the Egyptian market, while maintaining the highest levels of safety and security for its customers,” Ezz El-Din said.

OPay signed a joint cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Cards Company last year to facilitate issuing banking cards.

OPay Egypt cards OPay Egypt cards

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Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

OPay Launches Its First North African Store in Egypt

February 28, 2022

OPay Egypt, the leading fintech and electronic payments company, has announced the opening of its first “OPay” store in Egypt in the Downtown area in the 5th Settlement, to offer all the company’s services and products for individuals and corporates.

The move comes as part of OPay’s expansion plan in the Egyptian market and capitalizes on the success the company has achieved last year through distributing tens of thousands of Points – of – Sale (POS), and increasing its vendors and retailers, becoming the fastest-growing company in the fintech and e-payments market, just one year after its launch in Egypt.

Hesham Ezz El-Din, Digital and Cards Business line director at OPay Egypt said that the company is “thrilled to be launching its first OPay store in the Egyptian market, one of the largest markets in the Middle East and Africa, as part of the company’s bid to keep up with the direction of the Egyptian state towards financial inclusion and digital transformation and Egypt 2030 vision.”

Through the store, Ezz El-Din said the company’s clients will be able to recharge their phone’s balance and make electronic payments for a number of services including paying mobile phone bills, as well as paying their utility bills and paying tuition fees for schools, universities and a host of other services.

He said that the company will gradually open more stores across many of the Egyptian cities and governorates to serve a wider client base, in addition to adding electronic collections services through coordinating and partnering with other companies in the same field.

Last month, OPay won the ‘Best New Point-of-Sale Payments Service Provider’ award from the London-based ‘The Global Economics’ institution, specialized in providing detailed performance analysis of companies in various financial and business sectors.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry