The COMESA Business Council (CBC) and Sobek Group Limited are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate digital financial inclusion and regional trade for Africa’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), through an integrated ecosystem the eMalyami of over fourteen (14) interoperable modules.

The two have signed a Memorandum of Understanding towards enhancing the eMalyami platform which includes e-wallet, agent networks, virtual goods and services market, Siba cooperatives, merchant retail management system, and more. The platform will support small businesses, business groups, and gig workers to trade, pay and get paid seamlessly across COMESA markets.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, CBC-CEO Dr Teddy Soobramanien stated that reducing costs of transactions remains essential to accelerating the adoption of digital payments. Affordable channels are particularly important for MSMEs, which operate on narrow margins and depend on efficient payment systems to sustain daily operations.

The Sobek Group Ltd President Dr. Nezar Eldidy noted that eMalyami business suite is an important instrument for promoting financial inclusion and it aims to bring underserved communities and informal market actors into the formal economy.

Working together, CBC and Sobek Group Limited will engage financial service providers, development partners, and other key stakeholders, to unlock an affordable, compliant digital rails for domestic and cross-border transactions, helping entrepreneurs formalise their operations, access finance, shipment facilitation, and grow beyond their borders.