Dashen Bank commits 10 billion birr to support 50,000 farmers
Date: 2025-12-10
By: Robert Annor
Dashen
Bank has announced plans to invest an additional 10 billion birr to support
50,000 farmers as part of its transition toward becoming an impact-focused
financial institution.
The
announcement was made by Dashen Bank Chief Executive Officer, Asfaw Alemu (CM),
during the Ethiopian Digital Payment Conference 2.0 held at the Skylight Hotel
in Addis Ababa. Speaking on a panel discussion titled “From Access to Impact –
Unlocking Ethiopia’s Digital Economy Through Inclusive Digital Payment
Systems,” Asfaw said the investment is aimed at promoting inclusive economic
growth through targeted digital finance initiatives.
He
explained that pilot projects implemented by the bank have produced positive
results, creating a pathway to onboard 50,000 farmers, 300 women-led
enterprises, and 10,000 merchants onto Dashen Bank’s Super App. According to
him, the digital platform is central to the bank’s strategy of expanding access
to financial services for underserved groups.
Asfaw
also disclosed that since its launch, the Super App has recorded one million
active users, signaling strong market acceptance and providing momentum for the
bank’s broader digital transformation agenda. While noting that merchant
acceptance and QR code usage in Ethiopia remain below expectations, he
expressed confidence in the improving trajectory of the country’s digital
payments ecosystem.
The
Ethiopian Digital Payment Conference 2.0 brought together regulators,
policymakers, innovators, market players, and payment service providers to
discuss ways of advancing digital payment systems in Ethiopia.
Opening
the conference, the Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Eyob Tekalign
(PhD), highlighted the rapid pace of Ethiopia’s digital payments growth,
describing it as one of the fastest on the continent. He noted that digital
transactions are, for the first time, beginning to overtake cash-based
transactions in the country.
