# telebirr

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/telebirr
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-07
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [telebirr — Ethio telecom](https://www.ethiotelecom.et/telebirr/)

## Overview

**telebirr** is **Ethiopia's largest mobile money service** + **state-owned Ethio Telecom's flagship mobile financial platform** <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [Ethiopia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/ET)</sup>. **Mid-FY2025/26 baseline** (fiscal year started July 2025): **58M+ customers + ~1.9 trillion birr half-year transaction value**.

**FY2024/25 full-year** (ended June 2025) <sup>[3][3]</sup>: **54.84M users + 2.38 trillion birr in transactions**.

**telebirr historic dominance context** <sup>[4][4]</sup>: Ethiopia's "digital playbook" with telebirr built strong domestic mobile-money dominance + effectively "boxed in" M-Pesa (Safaricom Ethiopia M-Pesa) — distinctive Ethio Telecom state-incumbent advantage.

**Strategic projections** <sup>[5][5]</sup>: telebirr expected to scale to **75M users + 21.3 trillion ETB transaction value** by end of Ethio Telecom's new 3-year strategy (July 2025 to June 2028).

## History

**May 2021 — telebirr launched** by Ethio Telecom as Ethiopia's first mobile money service.

**2021-2024 — Mass Ethiopian adoption** <sup>[1][1]</sup>: Expanded from zero to nearly 50M users by 2024.

**February 13, 2025 — telebirr passes 50M subscribers** <sup>[6][6]</sup> — Ethiopian Monitor coverage.

**June 2025 (end FY2024/25) — 54.84M users + 2.38 trillion birr transactions** <sup>[3][3]</sup>.

**Mid-FY2025/26 — 58M+ customers + ~1.9 trillion birr half-year transactions** <sup>[1][1]</sup>.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **Ethio Telecom** — **state-owned Ethiopian telecommunications incumbent**.

**Major shareholders**: **Government of Ethiopia (state-owned; Ethiopian Investment Holdings sovereign wealth fund)**.

**Regulators**: **NBE (National Bank of Ethiopia)**.

## Technical integration

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Channels** | telebirr SuperApp (iOS + Android) + USSD + agent network + Ethio Telecom retail outlets |
| **Identifiers** | Phone + Ethiopian ID |
| **ET rail** | **[EthSwitch QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ethswitch-qr)** (Ethiopian national interbank switch) |
| **License** | Payment instrument issuer (PII; Ethio Telecom NBE license) |
| **Sub-products** | telebirr wallet + telebirr Pay + telebirr SuperApp + telebirr remittance + telebirr merchant + telebirr microcredit |
| **State-incumbent advantage**: Effectively "boxed in" M-Pesa per Kenyan Wall Street analysis |

## Users & growth

**FY trajectory** <sup>[1][1], [3][3], [5][5]</sup>:
- **May 2021**: telebirr launched
- **Feb 2025**: passed 50M subscribers (Ethiopian Monitor)
- **End FY2024/25 (June 2025)**: 54.84M users + 2.38 trillion birr transactions
- **Mid FY2025/26**: 58M+ customers + ~1.9 trillion birr half-year transactions
- **Targets**: 75M users + 21.3 trillion ETB transaction value by June 2028 (Ethio Telecom 3-year strategy)
- **Total transacted to date**: 4.9 trillion birr (per 2025 figures)

## Use cases

Ethiopian mobile money + remittance + bill payment + merchant payment via telebirr SuperApp + USSD + agent network; Ethio Telecom retail outlets; state-incumbent dominance via Ethiopia's first mobile-money service launched May 2021.

## Implementations & partners

**Operator**: **Ethio Telecom** (state-owned).

**Major shareholders**: **Government of Ethiopia (Ethiopian Investment Holdings sovereign wealth fund)**.

**Major Ethiopian mobile money competitors**:
- **[M-Pesa](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/m-pesa)** (Safaricom Ethiopia M-Pesa; entered ET 2023; effectively "boxed in" by telebirr state-incumbent advantage)
- **Hello Cash** (HelloCash Ethiopia; bank-led mobile money)
- **CBE Birr** (Commercial Bank of Ethiopia mobile money; competing state-bank-led product)
- **Amole** (Dashen Bank mobile money; Ethiopian bank-led)
- **Mela** (Bank of Abyssinia mobile money)

**Regulator**: **NBE**.

## Fun facts

- **Ethiopia's largest mobile money service** — state-owned Ethio Telecom flagship.
- **May 2021 launch** — from zero to 58M+ users in ~5 years (distinctive state-incumbent rapid adoption).
- **End FY2024/25**: 54.84M users + 2.38 trillion birr transactions.
- **Mid FY2025/26**: 58M+ customers + ~1.9 trillion birr half-year transactions.
- **Strategic targets**: 75M users + 21.3 trillion ETB by June 2028.
- **Effectively "boxed in" M-Pesa** per Kenyan Wall Street analysis — Ethio Telecom state-incumbent advantage limits Safaricom Ethiopia M-Pesa expansion.
- **Government of Ethiopia state-owned via Ethiopian Investment Holdings sovereign wealth fund**.

## Comparison

| Feature | telebirr | [M-Pesa](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/m-pesa) (Safaricom Ethiopia M-Pesa rival) | [MTN MoMo Ghana](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/mtn-momo-gh) (MTN MoMo Ghana state-mobile leader analog) | [Mixx by Yas (formerly Tigo Pesa) Tanzania](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/mixx-by-yas) (Mixx by Yas Tanzania state-#2 mobile money analog) | [Airtel Money](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/airtel-money) (Airtel Money Africa-wide mobile money analog) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | **Ethio Telecom (state-owned Ethiopian telecommunications incumbent; Ethiopian Investment Holdings sovereign wealth fund)** | Safaricom Ethiopia (Vodacom + Safaricom Group; entered ET 2023) | MTN Ghana MoMo (MTN Group spinoff Apr 2026; Ghana's largest mobile money) | Mixx by Yas Tanzania (Yas / formerly Tigo Pesa; post-MIC Tanzania consolidation) | Airtel Money (Bharti Airtel Africa) |
| Type | **Ethiopia's largest mobile money service + state-owned telco-led** | Ethiopia mobile money (entered 2023; "boxed in" per Kenyan Wall Street analysis) | Ghana mobile money | Tanzania mobile money (Yas-rebranded post-Tigo Pesa) | Multi-African mobile money |
| Country | Ethiopia | Ethiopia + KE (M-Pesa origin) | Ghana | Tanzania | Multi-African |
| Users | **58M+ customers (mid FY2025/26)** | Ethiopia limited; KE 30M+ (M-Pesa origin) | 17.7M Q3 2025 + 700K added in past year | 20.2M accounts (Mar 2025; TZ #2 after M-Pesa 26M + ahead of Airtel Money 12.1M) | Multi-African |
| Distinctive | **State-owned Ethio Telecom flagship; from zero to 58M+ users in ~5 years; 75M + 21.3 trillion ETB target by Jun 2028; effectively "boxed in" M-Pesa per state-incumbent advantage** | M-Pesa origin Kenya 2007; ET entry 2023 limited by telebirr state-incumbent | MTN Group Apr 2026 Ghana MoMo spinoff; GH¢518B Dec 2025 transactions (record monthly); 982M Dec 2025 transactions (+10% MoM) | Yas-rebranded post-Tigo Pesa MIC Tanzania consolidation | Multi-African mobile money |

## Status

**Active, Ethiopia's largest mobile money service + state-owned Ethio Telecom flagship** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>:
- **Ethio Telecom** since May 2021.
- **58M+ customers (mid FY2025/26)** + ~1.9 trillion birr half-year transactions.
- **Targets**: 75M users + 21.3 trillion ETB by June 2028.
- **Effectively "boxed in" M-Pesa** (Safaricom Ethiopia) per Kenyan Wall Street analysis.
- **NBE regulated**.

## Sources

[1]: https://techafricanews.com/2025/08/26/ethio-telecom-targets-100m-users-75m-telebirr-accounts-in-new-3-year-plan/ "Ethio Telecom Targets 100M Users, 75M telebirr Accounts in New 3-Year Plan — TechAfrica News Aug 26 2025"
[2]: https://www.ethiotelecom.et/telebirr/ "telebirr — Ethio telecom"
[3]: https://techafricanews.com/2025/07/25/ethio-telecom-achieves-83-2m-subscribers-and-73-revenue-surge-as-lead-strategy-concludes/ "Ethio Telecom Achieves 83.2M Subscribers + 73% Revenue Surge — TechAfrica News Jul 25 2025"
[4]: https://kenyanwallstreet.com/telebirr-m-pesa-analysis "Ethiopia's Digital Playbook Built Telebirr And Boxed In M-Pesa — Kenyan Wall Street"
[5]: https://www.addisinsight.net/2024/09/19/ethiotelecom-aims-to-expand-telebirr-service-to-55-million-subscribers-by-2025/ "EthioTelecom Aims to Expand telebirr Service to 55M Subscribers by 2025 — Addis Insight"
[6]: https://ethiopianmonitor.com/2025/02/13/telebirr-subscribers-pass-50-million-mark/ "telebirr Subscribers Pass 50M Mark — Ethiopian Monitor Feb 13 2025"
[et-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/ET

- [1] [Ethio Telecom Targets 100M Users, 75M telebirr Accounts — TechAfrica News Aug 26 2025][1]
- [2] [telebirr — Ethio telecom][2]
- [3] [Ethio Telecom Achieves 83.2M Subscribers — TechAfrica News Jul 25 2025][3]
- [4] [Ethiopia's Digital Playbook Built Telebirr And Boxed In M-Pesa — Kenyan Wall Street][4]
- [5] [EthioTelecom 55M Subscribers by 2025 — Addis Insight][5]
- [6] [telebirr Subscribers Pass 50M Mark — Ethiopian Monitor Feb 13 2025][6]
- <sup>[Ethiopia report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/ET)</sup> In-corpus: `reports/countries/ET-ethiopia.md`

## Source

Biography extracted from [telebirr.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/telebirr). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.