Last year, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia made a comment at an event in which he stated that the payment company, PayPal, would be available in Ghana by the second half of 2019. He stated that Ghanaians would be able to make payments with PayPal in early 2020.
He said, “According to the roadmap presented by PayPal, by the second half of 2019, Ghanaian merchants should be able to receive payments for their goods sold online.“
For context, in 2004, PayPal blacklisted Ghana, along with Nigeria and some other sub-Saharan countries due to the high incidence of credit card fraud.
When the news came out that PayPal would finally be available, lots of people were ecstatic. But fast forward to September 2019, and there has been no update on if PayPal is still going to be operational in Ghana.
Of course, there is still some months to go before the second half of 2019 is over, but should Ghanaians hold their breath that PayPal will be available in early 2020?
Does PayPal “Need” Ghana?
What is PayPal’s incentive to be online in Ghana at the moment? At the moment, it’s hard to tell. Right now, it’s about the numbers. How many users in Ghana would be using PayPal? And is it enough to be active and provide for Ghanaians?
One reason companies would be in markets would be to expand/scale and acquire new customers and grow revenue. Is there enough data to support PayPal’s operation in Ghana?
For context, Nigeria which was once blacklisted in Nigeria has been active since 2014 (although with a caveat that users in Nigeria having the ability to only send funds and make online payments but not withdraw or receive funds.
It would make sense given Nigeria’s population numbers. PayPal can operate in Ghana but the numbers/data would have to make sense.
What Are Your Alternatives To PayPal In Ghana?
There are current alternatives for Ghanaians to actually make international payment and set up online stores. Here’s a couple:
Flutterwave: Flutterwave is a payment technology company focused on helping banks and businesses provide seamless and secure payment experiences for their customers. They help online individuals and businesses to make payments across Africa, the US, and the UK.
Payment Accepted: Local Cards, International Cards (US, UK, Africa), Mobile Money
Website: http://flutterwave.com
Emergent Technologies: An electronic payment platform that makes transactions and e-commerce simpler, secure, and more convenient. They allow merchants and consumers to make and receive payments of bills, invoices, and fees in Ghana.
Payments Accepted: Local Cards, Mobile Money
Website: http://www.emergentpaymentsafrica.com
Payswitch: A Ghanaian company which provides integrated payment solutions for businesses and individuals. Some of their solutions include eCommerce, Point Of Sale management and internet banking.
Payments Accepted: Local Cards, Mobile Money
Website: https://www.payswitch.com.gh
There’s Still Time For PayPal To Go Live
Some things do take time and PayPal might eventually be operational in early 2020. A lack of updates about the status of operational does give one pause and wonder if this will happen. If it does happen, will Ghanaians get full access to PayPal services or will there be caveats?
At the moment, you might be better off going for local alternatives. But if you need PayPal services, it might be a waiting game for you. Better to cross your fingers and hope they do go live in 2020.
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Paypal is in Togo. So much for numbers and making sense. Maybe PayPal can’t handle local scammers
its 2020 now, we are still waiting ooooooo
its 2020 now, we are still waiting ooooooo