EthSwitch Profit Climbs to ETB 2.6 Billion as Digital Payments Reach ETB 1.26 Trillion

EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch, closed the 2025/26 fiscal year with a gross profit before tax of ETB 2.6 billion, as interoperable digital transactions across its network climbed to ETB 1.26 trillion, reflecting the continued expansion of the country’s digital payments ecosystem.

 

 

According to the company’s annual financial results, EthSwitch processed 387 million interoperable transactions during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, as real-time payments, ATM services, merchant payments, and QR-based transactions continued to gain momentum across participating financial institutions.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers remained the largest payment channel, accounting for 242.6 million transactions worth ETB 1.06 trillion, or more than four-fifths of the total value processed through the national switch. ATM transactions totaled 131.5 million, valued at ETB 189.2 billion, while point-of-sale (POS) payments reached 3.9 million transactions worth ETB 10.7 billion. The ETHQR platform processed more than 551,500 transactions with a combined value of ETB 6.8 billion.

The financial performance comes as Ethiopia’s digital payments industry continues to expand, supported by regulatory reforms, increased banking interoperability, growing fintech participation, and wider adoption of cashless payment channels.

A major milestone during the year was the completion of the migration of all peer-to-peer transfers to the EthioPay Instant Payment System (IPS), enabling real-time transfers between participating financial institutions through a unified interoperable infrastructure.

The platform also recorded its highest daily transaction volume to date, processing more than one million P2P transfers worth ETB 5.1 billion in a single day, underscoring growing public confidence in instant digital payment services.

EthSwitch adopted a new five-year strategic plan (2026/27–2030/31) focused on interoperability, innovation, and financial inclusion. The company formally launched the EthioPay brand and hosted the second Ethiopian Digital Payment Conference. Opened by Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh and National Bank of Ethiopia Governor Dr. Eyob Tekalign, the event highlighted digital infrastructure within Ethiopia’s modernization agenda. Additionally, EthSwitch collaborated with Glenbrook Partners on an executive workshop to accelerate instant payment adoption.

Internationally, the company received the Best Financial Inclusion Technology Initiative in Africa award at the TAB Global Business Achievement Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition, AfricaNenda recognized the EthioPay Instant Payment System as a mature payment platform, reflecting the country’s progress in building resilient and scalable digital payment infrastructure.

EthSwitch’s latest results reinforce the growing role of interoperable payment systems in Ethiopia’s financial sector as digital transactions increasingly replace cash and support broader efforts to improve financial inclusion, efficiency, and economic digitization.