← State of Embedded Finance 2026

Abyssinia

Can Bank of Abyssinia become the primary infrastructure bank enabling digital payments, remittances, and card issuance across Ethiopia by partnering with telecoms, fintechs, and global card networks?

HQAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
IndustryBank / Community
The story

Bank of Abyssinia is a traditional Ethiopian commercial bank that has been progressively investing in digital transformation. The bank implemented Temenos Infinity to modernize its digital banking stack and has entered strategic partnerships with Paga Group (payments), Visa (card issuance and cross-border), and Ethio Telecom (remittances), signaling a shift toward digital-first financial services in an underserved market. Its embedded finance angle is primarily as a licensed banking partner enabling third-party fintechs and telecoms to distribute financial services through its infrastructure.

Last 12 months
2026-03
2026-03
Product timeline
2024
Partnered with Xpert Digital to implement Temenos Infinity core banking platform.· banking
2025
Partnered with Paga Group to launch online payment gateway services in Ethiopia.· banking
2026
Signed a five-year deal with Visa to expand card issuance and cross-border digital payments.· card
2026
Launched Visa Direct and Telebirr Remit remittance services in partnership with Ethio Telecom and Visa.· banking
Regulated entities
Commercial Bank License
Ethiopia (National Bank of Ethiopia)
Bank of Abyssinia S.C.
The stack
Payments / PSP
Paga Group (payment gateway)
Card issuing
Visa
Lending
Overdraft FacilityMerchandise Loan FacilitiesImport Letter of Credit FacilityCorporate and Commercial Credit Products
FX & payouts
Visa (Visa Direct cross-border payments)
Accounting gap: none