Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Pakistan has launched 10 million digital wallets under BISP, linking them to CNICs with biometric safeguards to ensure transparency and efficiency. Paired with free SIM cards and digital literacy training, the initiative aims to modernize social protection, empower women, and accelerate the country’s transition toward a cashless economy.
UAE telecom operator du has launched a new ‘Salary in the Digital Wallet’ service via du Pay, allowing blue-collar workers to receive wages directly into their digital wallets. The service offers cashless convenience, international transfers, and bill payments, addressing financial inclusion for workers without access to traditional banking.
Pakistan has set national targets to expand digital payments: 2 million digital merchants, 120m mobile banking users, and 15bn annual transactions by FY26. The plan also aims to route all remittances through wallets or banks. JazzCash and Easypaisa lead the market, while other telcos lag behind.
Visa has launched the Tap-to-Add Card feature in Egypt, allowing cardholders to easily add Visa contactless cards to digital wallets with a simple tap. This innovation enhances security by eliminating manual entry and offers a faster, safer alternative to traditional methods, supporting Egypt’s digital payment landscape and cashless goals.
Visa introduced its Tap-to-Add Card feature in Jordan, allowing cardholders to add their Visa contactless cards to digital wallets by tapping their mobile devices. This feature enhances security, reduces manual input errors, and has gained adoption with over 542 tokens enabled. It also benefits financial institutions and digital wallet providers.
Nepalese fintech companies Khalti and IME Pay have signed an MoU to merge, marking the country’s first-ever digital wallet consolidation. The merged entity may be named ‘IME Khalti’ or ‘Khalti Pay.’ This move follows a regulatory change by Nepal Rastra Bank, allowing digital wallet mergers under certain conditions.