UnionPay International partners with S2M to drive digital financial inclusion in Africa

CASABLANCA,Morocco,Sept. 24,2021 --UnionPay International and S2M jointly announced the ambitious partnership to accelerate digital financial inclusion across the African continent.

This new achievement will allow S2M to provide UnionPay payment services to its customers with a high level of performance,uptime and security. The partnership will further assist the innovative digital payment solutions expansion,adding value to the African economy and promote financial inclusion.

"We are delighted with this new achievement; thus,strengthening our strategic partnership with UnionPay International. We continue to meet the African ecosystem needs,which is in constant search of innovation,flexibility,and adaptability to the shifting consumer behavior". Mr. Mohamed Amarti,Vice President,S2M Group.

"We are delighted to collaborate with S2M as the chosen partner for a long-term investment in Africa",said Mr Luping Zhang,General Manager of UnionPay Africa Region. "We support S2M's innovative and customer-centric initiatives in driving financial inclusion. Together,we continue to contribute towards the global payment ecosystem".

As an industry leader in the African market for over 35 years,S2M serves the African payment landscape through its headquarters in Morocco,its subsidiaries in Tunisia,and a vast network of reliable partners. S2M serves more than 180 institutions on four continents. Its customer-centric digital strategy focuses on providing innovative,accessible,convenient and functional products and services 24/7. S2M serves the entire payment ecosystem,including financial institutions,telecom operators,oil companies,retailers,aggregators,health and e-government players,and money transfer operators with innovative payment solutions. S2M is committed to supporting and building the continent's national economies through innovation,enabling it to meet customers' ever-changing demands and expectations in this digital age.

With over 1.6 billion UnionPay cards issued in 70 countries and regions globally,UnionPay has expanded its acceptance network to 180 countries and regions in recent years. At present,UnionPay cards are widely accepted in Africa across all sectors,effectively meeting the diverse purchasing needs of UnionPay cardholders visiting and living on the continent. Over 10 African countries have issued UnionPay cards,including Kenya,Tanzania,Uganda,Ghana,South Africa,eSwatini,Madagascar and Mauritius. The Nilson Report (Issue 1154) shows that UnionPay ranks first among all card schemes in card issuance and transaction volume worldwide. UnionPay has launched various innovative payment products in Africa in response to the worldwide digital transformation and financial inclusion.