Uganda trailblazes improved Airtel Money platform to boost e-commerce

March 5, 2025 in Business, Financial Services, Technology & Telecoms by Editor

Ferrao says this latest move will elevate their customers’ experiences with the support of Network’s digital payments expertise, adding that it will pave the way for more citizens to gain access to the continent’s growing digital economy.

Uganda has been selected as the trailblazer for an improved digital payment solutions platform across key African markets in partnership between Network International and Airtel Money. More activations are scheduled for the rest of Africa and Francophone countries in 2025.

As part of this collaboration, Network will provide expertise and support for solutions including transaction processing, card management, fraud prevention, APIs sandbox, reconciliation and settlement, and online access for Airtel users.

Ian Ferrao, Group CEO, Airtel Money – Airtel Africa PLC Airtel Group said: “We are delighted with this major milestone in our partnership and are eager to keep on innovating and elevating our customer experiences with the support of Network’s digital payments expertise. Together, we will pave the way for more citizens to gain access to the continent’s growing digital economy.”

Meanwhile the telecom company has also launched the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card, which is a virtual (non-plastic) payment solution that links directly to Airtel Money wallets. It can be used for a wide range of payments across global online merchants, including major platforms such as Facebook, Netflix, Uber, Amazon, Google, AliExpress, and Alibaba.

Users can also make payments for travel bookings, utilities, subscriptions, and purchase goods from international suppliers—all from the convenience of their mobile phones.

Airtel operates in 14 countries across the continent primarily in Central and West Africa. It serves over 140 million customers, including nearly 60 million data customers and over 36 million Airtel Money customers.

Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing Director – Processing, Africa and Co-Head Group Processing at Network International said, “We aim to cover significant ground on our Airtel rollouts this year after going live in Uganda and make greater strides for our outsourced payments services in Africa. We are excited to add value to Airtel’s capabilities, continue driving the success of Mobile Network Operators, and contribute to financial inclusion across the continent.”

Network International provides a full suite of technology-enabled payments solutions to merchants and financial institutions of all types and sizes, including acquiring and processing services and a comprehensive ever-evolving range of value-added services. It currently serves 50 countries across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, including more than 40 African markets.