Mobile Money records GH¢493bn transactions in April

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Mobile Money records GH¢493bn transactions in April

The mobile money ecosystem continued its rapid expansion in April 2026, with total transaction value reaching an unprecedented GH¢493.2 billion, accor

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The mobile money ecosystem continued its rapid expansion in April 2026, with total transaction value reaching an unprecedented GH¢493.2 billion, according to the latest Summary of Economic and Financial Data released by the Bank of Ghana.

The figure, which involved over 967 million transactions, reflects growing dependence on digital financial services by households, businesses, and informal sector operators across the country.

It also marks an increase from the GH¢484.6 billion recorded in March 2026, reinforcing the sustained momentum in the digital payments landscape.

The latest numbers further cement the position as one of Africa’s leading mobile money economies, following the country’s recent retention of the top global ranking in the GSMA Mobile Money Regulatory Index for 2025.

Rapid growth in mobile money accounts

The data showed that registered mobile money accounts rose sharply to 83 million in April 2026, up from 80.5 million in December 2025.

Out of the total registered accounts, 26 million were classified as active users, highlighting continued engagement in digital financial transactions.

The number of registered mobile money agents also climbed to 992,000 nationwide, although only 534,000 agents were actively operating during the period.

Analysts say the increase reflects deeper penetration of digital finance services into both urban and rural communities, driven largely by rising smartphone adoption, fintech innovation, and growing confidence in electronic payments.

Liquidity within ecosystem rises

The report also pointed to increased liquidity within the mobile money ecosystem.

Mobile money float balances which represent the amount of money held by telecom operators in partner banks to back electronic money issued to customers — increased from GH¢35.4 billion in March to GH¢36.7 billion in April 2026.

The rise suggests growing consumer trust in mobile wallets as a store of value in addition to their use for daily payments and transfers.

Interoperability transactions continue to expand

Interoperability services, which allow customers to transfer money seamlessly across different mobile networks and bank accounts, also recorded significant activity.

According to the central bank data, interoperability transactions reached GH¢5.8 billion involving 31.7 million transactions in April alone.

The growth in interoperability continues to reflect the success of the interoperable payment infrastructure championed by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems, GhIPSS, and the Bank of Ghana over the past several years.

Instant Pay and electronic payments surge

Beyond mobile money, other digital payment channels also recorded strong growth.

Instant Pay transfers processed through GhIPSS increased to GH¢79 billion in April 2026 from GH¢71.5 billion in March, involving nearly 19.9 million transactions.

The report further showed that:

Automated Clearing House (ACH) Direct Credit transactions reached GH¢13.5 billion across 816,000 transactions. Cheque clearing transactions totalled GH¢36.6 billion from 413,000 transactions.

The figures indicate that while mobile money remains dominant, broader digital financial services adoption continues to deepen across Ghana’s banking and payment sectors.

BoG’s digital finance push gains momentum

The strong performance in digital payments comes amid an aggressive digital finance expansion agenda being pursued by the Bank of Ghana under Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama.

In recent months, the central bank has intensified efforts to deepen fintech regulation, expand cross-border payment systems, operationalise the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, and strengthen interoperability infrastructure.

Speaking at the 2026 3i Africa Summit earlier this month, Dr. Asiama said Africa’s next phase of digital finance growth must move beyond simple payment services into more advanced products such as digital credit, embedded finance, supply chain finance, and cross-border financial solutions.

The Governor stressed that the digital finance ecosystem must evolve into a more integrated, innovation-driven financial architecture capable of supporting small businesses, women entrepreneurs, and informal sector operators.

Ghana emerges as regional digital finance leader

Over the last decade, Ghana has transformed into one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital payment markets.

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