e& Expands Digital Frontier in Egypt with Super App and Fintech Push

e& has been quietly reshaping its presence in Egypt since 2022, shifting from a classic telecom operator to something far broader and, frankly, far more ambitious. I’ve seen many companies in the region try to make that leap, and it’s rarely a walk in the park. But this one seems to be playing the long game, building digital platforms that slot naturally into how people chat, pay, watch, and generally navigate a digital-first life.

At the heart of this push is Eng. Ahmed Yehia, who leads e& Fintech and Digital Lifestyle. His remit covers the company’s entire non‑telecom digital expansion in Egypt, and from what’s been shared publicly, his approach rests on three big pillars: fintech, microfinance, and entertainment. On paper it sounds neat; in reality, weaving all that together is, as someone once told me in a Cairo coworking space, “a bit of a faff.”

The strategy isn’t about launching random apps and hoping for the best. Instead, e& is trying to stitch together a full ecosystem that covers day‑to‑day digital and financial needs. Their fintech arm, built around e& Money and SuperPay, focuses on digital payments, transfers, bills, and merchant services. Microfinance runs through Erada Finance, which targets individuals and SMEs with customised financing—a pretty crucial piece in a country where many small businesses still operate informally. And on the lighter side of life, there’s Twist, offering music, sports, and TV content tuned to local tastes.

All of this feeds into the My e& super app, which acts as the main hub. I reckon super apps only work when they genuinely simplify life rather than overload users, but so far the idea seems spot on: one door, many rooms.

Yehia often aligns this local strategy with the broader transformation happening across the e& Group globally, especially its push into digital finance across Asia, Africa, and Europe. And given that e& serves more than 40 million customers in Egypt—part of a market with over 102 million mobile SIMs—the appetite for digital services that go beyond standard connectivity is stronger than ever. At Arageek we’ve met plenty of founders who say the same thing: the demand is there; the challenge is making it seamless.

The growth of e& Money shows how quickly things are shifting. The service, which used to be called Etisalat Cash, has seen annual growth above 100 percent and now reaches about 12 million users. With digital wallet penetration hovering around 35 to 40 percent nationally, there’s still plenty of room to grow. And believe it or not, many people still prefer cash simply out of habit… well, I mean, old habits die hard.

Looking forward, Yehia sees AI as a major accelerator. They’ve already begun integrating it in two main ways: smoothing customer experience through generative AI and sharpening data analytics to deliver personalised financial insights. Egypt’s push toward its 2030 vision, especially around financial inclusion outside big cities, could give this a strong tailwind.

Of course, none of this works without trust. The company has emphasised the importance of tighter links between wallets and banks, along with a gradual rollout of e‑KYC—essentially digital identity verification. It’s a huge leap for the local fintech scene but also a delicate one, requiring close coordination with regulators to protect users and prevent fraud. Security, Yehia insists, isn’t negotiable, and the company continues to work closely with the Central Bank and other authorities to reinforce that.

Partnerships with banks—including Mashreq Bank, Banque du Caire, Banque Misr, and FABMISR—are already enabling digital account opening, co‑branded cards, instant transfers, and wider access to banking tools through the e& Money app. On the flip side, bringing multiple institutions under a unified experience is definately easier said than done.

In the end, Yehia says the goal isn’t to chase technology for its own sake but to translate complex systems into simple tools people can use without thinking twice. If done right—and that’s always the tricky part—fintech and digital lifestyle platforms could become a real engine for trust, inclusion, and long‑term growth in Egypt’s digital economy. And from where I’m standing, that would be something to be chuffed to bits about.

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