Arab Finance: The number of financial transactions conducted through telecom-affiliated mobile wallets in Egypt rose 62% year-on-year (YoY) to 2.22 billion in the first half (H1) of 2026, according to a report by the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA).

The value of these transactions increased by 56% to EGP 2.96 trillion from EGP 1.90 trillion in H1 2025, as the number of mobile wallets grew 23% to 57.01 million from 46.33 million over the same period. 

Vodafone Cash accounted for 53% of registered wallets, followed by e& money with 23%, Orange Cash with 20%, and WE Pay with 4%. Among active wallets, Vodafone Cash led with 57%, while e& money held 24%, Orange Cash 17%, and WE Pay 2%.

Vodafone Cash also handled 69% of transactions by volume and 77% by value. e& money accounted for 20% of transaction volume and 14% of value, while Orange Cash represented 10% and 8%, respectively. WE Pay held a 1% share of both measures.

Wallet-to-wallet transfers made up 54% of transactions during the period, followed by mobile and internet top-ups at 25% and deposits at 13%. Cash withdrawals and other payments, including donations, utility bills, and shopping, each represented 4%.

Transfers between wallets accounted for 67% of transaction value, while deposits represented 17% and withdrawals 12%. Other payments contributed 3%, with mobile and internet top-ups accounting for the remaining 1%.

Bank-account transfers to wallets through InstaPay represented 78% of deposit transactions, followed by direct deposits at 15% and incoming remittances from abroad at 3%. Deposits through automated teller machines (ATMs) and bank cards each accounted for 2%.

By value, InstaPay transfers made up 58% of deposited funds, while direct deposits accounted for 28% and remittances from abroad represented 10%. Bank-card and ATM deposits each contributed 2%.

Mobile and internet top-ups comprised 76% of wallet outflow transactions. Cash withdrawals and other payments each accounted for 12%. By value, however, cash withdrawals represented 75% of funds withdrawn or spent, followed by other payments at 19% and top-ups at 6%.

Men held 38 million mobile wallets, representing 67% of the total, while women held 19 million, or 33%.

Subscribers aged 36 to 45 held 14.5 million wallets, accounting for 25% of the nationwide total. Those aged 26 to 35 also represented 25%, with 14.1 million wallets, while users aged 16 to 25 held 11.5 million, or 20%.

The 46-to-55 age group accounted for 9.4 million wallets, or 17%, while subscribers aged 55 and older held 7.5 million, representing 13%.

Mobile wallets were available across all governorates, with Cairo recording the largest number at 10.6 million, or 19% of the total. Giza followed with 6.5 million wallets, representing 11%, while Sharqia and Alexandria recorded 3.6 million and 3.5 million, respectively, each accounting for around 6%. Qalyubia recorded 3.3 million wallets, also representing about 6%.

The NTRA said it continues to coordinate with telecommunications service providers and establish regulatory frameworks for mobile wallet services as part of state efforts to expand financial inclusion, encourage electronic payments, and reduce reliance on cash.