Network International, a leading digital commerce enabler across the Middle East and Africa, has announced a strategic collaboration with Blu Penguin, a Ghana-based fintech company and mobile money aggregator. The partnership aims to enable mobile money payments on Network’s N-Genius™ point-of-sale (POS) terminals, marking a major step toward expanding financial inclusion in Ghana and the wider West African region. This initiative reflects both companies’ commitment to bridging the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and mobile-first financial ecosystems.
Seamless Integration for Mobile Money Acceptance
Through this collaboration, merchants using Network’s N-Genius™ payment terminals in Ghana can now accept mobile money payments from all major providers without needing additional hardware. This unified solution simplifies transactions for both consumers and businesses, allowing them to process multiple payment types through a single platform. The integration also enhances Network’s position as a third-party payment processor (TPP) by broadening its scope to include mobile payment capabilities, a key driver of digital financial adoption in emerging markets.
Enhancing Accessibility for the Banked and Unbanked
According to Chinwe Uzoho, Regional Managing Director, Western Africa – Processing at Network International, the partnership underscores the company’s dedication to building inclusive digital payment ecosystems. By enabling mobile money on its POS terminals, Network is offering financial institutions and merchants the tools needed to better serve both banked and unbanked populations. Uzoho highlighted that the innovation aligns with the Network’s broader mission of simplifying commerce and increasing transaction flexibility across the continent.
Strengthening Ghana’s Payment Infrastructure
Sebastian Yalley, Managing Director, Ghana – Processing at Network International, emphasized that the partnership represents a major enhancement to Ghana’s payments landscape. He noted that combining Blu Penguin’s mobile money expertise with Network’s advanced card infrastructure enables banks to deliver a unified, secure, and reliable experience for merchants and consumers. This technology alignment empowers merchants to meet growing customer demand for flexible and mobile-friendly payment methods.
Blu Penguin’s Mobile-First Strategy at the Core
As part of the partnership, Blu Penguin will integrate its mobile money processing technology directly with Network International’s acquiring infrastructure. This backend integration will support secure and efficient processing of mobile payments across leading telecom networks in Ghana. With operations extending to Côte d’Ivoire and DRC Congo, Blu Penguin’s mobile-first approach aims to bring digital payments to millions of consumers in underserved markets.
Empowering Merchants and Financial Institutions
Tenu Awoonor, Founder of Blu Penguin, described the collaboration as a strategic initiative to make payments more accessible and intuitive for merchants across Africa. He noted that combining Blu Penguin’s innovation with Network International’s reach will enable financial institutions to offer versatile, all-in-one payment solutions. This effort is expected to drive higher adoption rates of digital payments, supporting broader efforts to promote financial inclusion and economic empowerment on the continent.
Scaling Across Sub-Saharan Africa
The first phase of the integration has already begun in Ghana, with plans to expand the mobile money capability to all financial institutions using Network’s N-Genius™ terminals in the region. As adoption increases, both companies intend to scale the solution to other Sub-Saharan African markets where mobile money plays a critical role in daily financial transactions. The rollout reflects a shared vision to deliver meaningful payment innovation tailored to Africa’s unique needs and opportunities.
The partnership between Network International and Blu Penguin represents a forward-thinking move to strengthen Africa’s digital payment infrastructure through collaboration and innovation. By enabling seamless mobile money transactions on widely used POS terminals, the initiative addresses key barriers to financial access for merchants and consumers alike. As the two companies work to extend this model beyond Ghana, they are laying the foundation for a more inclusive, cashless future across Africa.