Morocco Leads Mobile Payments in Africa and the Middle East
Morocco has emerged as the leader in mobile payments across Africa and the Middle East, securing the top spot on the Evina & Telecoming Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) Index with an impressive score of 3.6 out of 5. This reflects the country's robust ecosystem for digital transactions and its success in fostering a thriving environment for mobile payments.
Published in 2023, the index focuses on the development of direct carrier billing, a mechanism allowing consumers to seamlessly purchase digital goods billed directly to their mobile accounts. Morocco's top ranking is credited to its stability and strong fraud protection measures, resulting in consistent and substantial revenue growth in the mobile payments sector.
While the overall DCB market rating for the Middle East and Africa slightly increased from 2.8 to 2.9, the report highlights emerging security disparities among market leaders like Morocco and more vulnerable markets still susceptible to technical fraud.
Following Morocco in the top tier are South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire, both showcasing high adoption rates for mobile money services and optimistic prospects for the expansion of direct carrier billing. In the Middle East, notable advancements were observed in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, with improved scores attributed to innovations in security measures and anti-fraud systems.
With projections indicating that over 90% of consumers in Africa and the Middle East will own mobile devices by the next year, the index suggests that the groundwork has been laid for mobile payments to dominate the consumer landscape across these regions. The evolving landscape, led by Morocco, signals a promising trajectory for the future of mobile payments in Africa and the Middle East.