MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Belcash, Moss ICT Ramp Up Mobile Money Services HelloCash, M-Birr in Ethiopia

Ethiopian banks and microfinance institutions increasingly are adopting mobile money services to allow their customers to send or receive money using mobile phones and other devices linked to their financial account. For example, Moss ICT Consultancy, which was founded as M-Birr in 2009 as a spin-off of Ireland-based NCL Technologies, is marketing its M-Birr service in rural areas [1]. While it was launched on a pilot basis in 2013, M-Birr only recently was approved by the National Bank of Ethiopia to conduct a full rollout, which is being offered by the following microfinance institutions: Dedebit Credit and Savings Institution, Amhara Credit and Savings Institution, Oromia Credit and Savings, Addis Credit and Savings Institution, and Omo Microfinance.

Another example is Ethiopia’s Belcash Technology Solutions (BLCTS), a unit of the Netherlands’ Belcash International, which is providing a mobile money service known as HelloCash [1]. HelloCash is offered by two Ethiopian firms: Somali Microfinance Institute and Lion International Bank. HelloCash has 5,000 users.

By Jeff Pierce, Research Associate

About HelloCash

HelloCash is a mobile money service provided in Ethiopia by Belcash Technology Solutions PLC, which is a unit of Belcash International of the Nethlerlands. The service allows for financial transactions to be executed from mobile phones. HelloCash is offered by two Ethiopian firms: Somali Microfinance Institute and Lion International Bank. Other Belcash services include HelloSera, a job-seeking service; HelloTebeka, a source of legal advice offered via phone; and HelloDoctor, which allows clients to seek health care services via phone. As of February 2015, HelloCash has about 5,000 users and seeks to have 2 million to 3 million by the end of 2015.

About Moss ICT Consultancy

Moss ICT Consultancy, which was founded as M-Birr in 2009 as a spin-off of Ireland-based NCL Technologies, is marketing its M-Birr service in rural Ethiopia areas. M-Birr launched a pilot service in 2013. In 2015, M-Birr was approved by the National Bank of Ethiopia to conduct a full rollout, which is being offered by the following microfinance institutions: Dedebit Credit and Savings Institution, Amhara Credit and Savings Institution, Oromia Credit and Savings, Addis Credit and Savings Institution, and Omo Microfinance.

[1] DailyMail, “Ethiopia launches mobile money schemes to extend banking reach,” Edmund Blair, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2939744/Ethiopia-launches-mobile-money-schemes-extend-banking-reach.html

MicroCapital, January 22, 2013, “M-Birr, Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions to Launch Mobile Money Service,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-m-birr-ethiopian-microfinance-institutions-to-launch-mobile-money-service/

MicroCapital Universe Profile: M-Birr ICT

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=M-Birr+ICT

MicroCapital Universe Profile: HelloCash

https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=HelloCash

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