Zambia: Lupiya Partners with Network International to Launch E-Commerce Enabled Debit Card in Zambia

Network International, a leading digital commerce solutions provider across Africa and the Middle East, has partnered with Zambian fintech and neobank Lupiya to introduce an e-commerce-enabled debit card. This partnership equips Lupiya with advanced digital payment technologies such as 3D Secure and tokenization, allowing the fintech to extend its services from lending to digital payments for its growing customer base.

Dr. Reda Helal, Managing Director & Co-Head of Processing for Africa at Network International, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “Lupiya’s choice to work with Network International reflects our capability to support diverse financial service providers. This partnership strengthens our mission to expand our client base and offer our services to various financial institutions across the region.”

Promoting Financial Inclusion in Zambia

Zambia has made notable strides in financial inclusion, with access increasing from 59.3% in 2015 to 69.4% in 2020. The government’s target is to boost this to 85% by 2028. However, a significant portion of the population, particularly women, remains financially excluded, struggling to access services from traditional financial institutions.

Lupiya has been addressing this gap through its innovative microloan services, which leverage alternative data and machine learning to assess creditworthiness. By doing so, Lupiya makes financial services accessible to underserved individuals and small businesses, particularly in sectors like climate-smart agriculture where women, who make up nearly 80% of Zambia’s farmers, benefit significantly.

Scaling Digital Payments

The partnership between Network International and Lupiya will bring comprehensive card payment processing solutions to the Zambian market, managing the full lifecycle of card payments, from issuance to settlement and dispute resolution. This will cover both digital and physical payment channels.

Dr. Helal emphasized the significance of this collaboration, noting, “This is a key milestone for us in Zambia, providing Lupiya with growth opportunities in the digital payments space. The increasing adoption of cloud technologies is positioning fintechs and traditional financial institutions to accelerate digital innovation and bring new products to market faster.”

Muchu Kaingu, CEO of Lupiya Pay, highlighted the impact of the partnership on advancing financial inclusion in Zambia, stating, “At Lupiya, we are committed to transforming financial inclusion across Africa. Our partnership with Network International allows us to offer secure, accessible, and innovative digital financial solutions. With the launch of our e-commerce enabled debit card, featuring 3D Secure and tokenization, we are empowering more individuals and businesses to actively engage in the digital economy.”

This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in Lupiya’s broader mission to drive economic growth, financial independence, and digital innovation across Africa.