• Visa’s new report with MSMEDA explores Egypt’s growing digital payments landscape, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• 53% of merchants adopted digital payments recently; 55% of cash-only merchants plan to follow, driven by positive business impact.
• SMEs want user-friendly tools, loyalty programs, and data insights, with most seeing digital payments as essential for future growth.

Visa

Visa, a global leader in payments, announced the launch of its new report, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Egypt.” This report describes the significant growth potential for digital payments, especially among small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Moreover, this report was in collaboration with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA).

The report highlights Egypt’s rapidly advancing digital payments ecosystem. Over the past two years, 53% of merchants surveyed have adopted digital payments, and 55% of cash-only merchants are open to doing the same. . This shift is driven by positive experiences: over 80% of current users are satisfied with card acceptance, more than 75% report higher revenue, and over two-thirds have seen increased footfall.

Malak El Baba, Vice President and Egypt Country Manager at Visa said “The increasing preference for digital transactions, coupled with the recognized benefits for businesses and the broader economy, created a shift in how businesses and consumers embrace digital payments across the region.”

Moreover, Egyptian SMEs are seeking value-added services and integrated solutions that go beyond basic transactions. This includes loyalty programs, enhanced security, and access to data-driven insights. These solutions can help drive business growth, enhance customer experience, and boost operational efficiency.

For cash-only SMEs, there is a demand for simple, user-friendly digital solutions that match the ease of cash. They also often require educational programs to address misconceptions and incentives and facilitate the transition to digital payments.

Positive Outlook

This upward momentum is set to continue in Egypt. Over 77% of SMEs see digital payments as key to growth, and 55% of cash-only merchants plan to adopt POS systems.

Egypt’s booming e-commerce scene is driving digital payment adoption. This is with 59% of merchants recently adding online payments and 53% accepting payments through social media. As more SMEs recognize the benefits for customer convenience, retention, and sales, the outlook for digital payments remains strong.