According to PayNXT360’s Q2 2021 Global Prepaid Card Survey, prepaid card market in the Egypt is expected to grow by 18.8% on annual basis to reach US$ 3,193.9 million in 2021.The prepaid card market expected to grow over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 17.2% during 2021-2025. The prepaid card market in Egypt will increase from US$ 2,689.0 million in 2020 to reach US$ 5,075.8 million by 2025.

The high mobile penetration rate is encouraging Egypt in its shift to digitalization and FinTech to bridge the banking gap in underserved areas. Notably, Egypt has put financial inclusion as one of its top priorities as part of the 2030 Vision goals.

Consequently, the Egyptian Government is directing towards a cashless society. This is because of its impact on the economy by launching several initiatives that will, directly or indirectly, assist the FinTech industry’s growth in the country. In line with its digital transformation plan, the Egyptian Government announced the plans to transform 28,000 electronic governmental cards into the more developed national prepaid cards, Meeza Cards, in September 2020.

Consumers in the country can use the prepaid Meeza Cards to pay all Government related fees without opening a formal banking account. This strategic move from the Egyptian Government is in line with its efforts to expand electronic payment channels and enhance digital transformation across all sectors. Notably, Meeza is the National Payment Scheme (NPS) of Egypt which is developed by EBC under the supervision of the Central Bank of Egypt.

FinTech startups are building partnerships with payment companies to launch prepaid cards:

For revolutionizing banking for many consumers, several FinTech startups have emerged over the last few quarters in Egypt. These startups are entering into strategic partnerships with global financial services companies like MasterCard to bring Egypt closer to its vision of the digital economy. For instance,
• In May 2021, Telda, the Egyptian digital provider, entered into a strategic partnership with MasterCard. Under the collaboration, MasterCard will enable Telda to issue prepaid cards to its customers and facilitate transactions through the payment processing services of MasterCard.