EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch, is in discussions with Huawei regarding potential collaboration on artificial intelligence, payment infrastructure enhancements, and cross-border payment connectivity with China.
The talks took place during a visit by Fernando Liu, president of Huawei Digital Finance’s Central Bank & Non-Traditional Finance Business Unit, who met with EthSwitch CEO Yilebes Addis in Addis Ababa on or around July 6, 2026. Topics included mobile banking innovation, resilient payment systems, AI applications for efficiency and security, cross-border collaboration with China’s payment and clearing systems, and technical capacity building.
No formal agreement has been announced. The discussions reflect EthSwitch’s efforts to strengthen Ethiopia’s digital payments ecosystem as transaction volumes grow.
In the 2025/26 fiscal year, EthSwitch processed 387 million interoperable transactions valued at ETB 1.26 trillion (approximately $9.3 billion at current exchange rates) and reported ETB 2.6 billion in pre-tax profit. The company operates as the central infrastructure for ATM, point-of-sale, QR code, instant payments, and gateway services across Ethiopian financial institutions.
Ethiopia has been liberalizing its financial sector, with EthSwitch playing a key role in promoting interoperability and financial inclusion. A partnership with Huawei could support further modernization, including AI-driven tools and improved connectivity for trade with China, Ethiopia’s largest bilateral trading partner.
Huawei provides cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and digital banking solutions to financial institutions in more than 60 countries.
The outcome of the exploratory talks was not disclosed. EthSwitch and Huawei have not provided additional details on potential timelines, scope, or terms of any future cooperation.
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