American Express and Ecobank Group, a leading financial services provider in Africa, have announced an agreement to expand American Express Card acceptance in 21 African countries.
American Express Card Members can now use their Cards in 12 new countries: Burundi, Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Togo.
In addition, merchant acceptance of American Express will grow in nine more countries where it is already available.
These countries are Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. This expansion will occur over the next 12 months.
Ecobank will also enable American Express ATM access in all African countries where they operate, except Cape Verde.
This agreement was announced at the African Development Bank Group Annual Meetings 2024, and will enhance the American Express network.
It will allow Card Members to use their Cards in more places in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, merchants will benefit by attracting American Express Card Members from Africa and around the world.
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Ecobank Boosting Payment Solutions Across Africa
While making the announcement, Jeremy Awori, the CEO of Ecobank Group stated,
“We are delighted to welcome American Express to our network. This will reinforce our commitment to offering innovative payment solutions for customers across Africa.
“This agreement will also benefit American Express Card Members by providing them with greater choice and helping merchants grow their businesses.
“Additionally, it highlights the scalability of Ecobank’s unrivalled borderless banking ecosystem and network across Africa.”
Mohammed Badi, the President of Global Network Services at American Express, added,
“This agreement with Ecobank is a major milestone for American Express acceptance across Africa. It will expand our presence in sub-Saharan Africa to 42 countries from 30 at present.
“With Ecobank’s support, we look forward to providing merchants in these countries access to higher-spending American Express Card Members both in Africa and from around the world.”
This partnership supports Ecobank’s strategic agenda for growth, transformation, and returns. Ecobank aims to provide its retail customers with innovative, user-friendly financial solutions through its integrated banking platform across Africa.