Key Takeaways:
• Birr 156.9bn — Arifpay says it has processed digital payment transactions since launch.
• 75% — nearly this share of Arifpay’s transaction value was recorded in 2025.
• 425m+ — successful payments were completed across Arifpay’s digital payment ecosystem.
• 11,000+ — registered merchants now use Arifpay’s platform.
• 130+ companies work with Arifpay across its payment services.
• 15+ services are offered through Arifpay’s expanded product ecosystem.
• NBE’s 2025–2029 payments strategy targets merchant acceptance, infrastructure and wider digital-finance use.
Market Impact:
Arifpay’s reported Birr 156.9 billion in processed transactions shows Ethiopia’s digital-payment market moving beyond early adoption into broader commercial use. The fact that nearly three-quarters of the value was recorded in 2025 points to faster uptake by merchants and consumers.
The company’s growth also reflects the changing structure of Ethiopia’s financial services industry. Fintech firms, banks and mobile-money operators are competing through QR payments, remittance services, merchant solutions and interoperable payment infrastructure.
The National Bank of Ethiopia’s second-phase digital payments strategy, covering 2025 to 2029, gives the sector a policy framework focused on merchant acceptance and payment-system infrastructure. For businesses, the shift signals a continued move away from cash-based transactions toward electronic payment channels.
Key Numbers:
Birr 156.9bn — Arifpay processed transaction value — digital-payment scale
About USD 1bn — Arifpay transaction-value equivalent — dollar benchmark
Nearly 75% — Share recorded in 2025 — recent transaction acceleration
425m+ — Successful payments — platform usage volume
11,000+ — Registered merchants — merchant adoption base
130+ — Partner companies — business network reach
15+ — Arifpay services — product ecosystem breadth
4 — Companies acquired by Arifpay — capability expansion
130 — Arifpay employees — operating team size
2025–2029 — NBE second-phase digital payments strategy — policy roadmap
Business Signal:
Arifpay’s growth signals that Ethiopia’s digital-payment competition is shifting toward merchant networks, service depth and payment infrastructure rather than basic adoption alone.