Network International powers card tokenization for Apple smartphones in Egypt in latest regulatory rollout

Network International has enabled card tokenisation for Apple smartphones in Egypt, powering Apple Pay acceptance for four Egyptian banks as part of the Central Bank of Egypt’s third wave of tokenisation license grants. The rollout, announced in a March 5, 2026 press release, places the implementations among the earliest bank-led Apple Pay go-lives tied to the regulator’s phased tokenisation programme and is being promoted as a key milestone for Egypt’s digital payments infrastructure.

“We are proud to have supported four renowned banks to successfully transform themselves as Egypt strengthens its digital economy. We have been present in the market for over 20 years and delivering multiple simultaneous implementations demonstrates our local teams’ expertise and the robustness of our processing platform. We are grateful to the Central Bank of Egypt and the participating banks for their trust and partnership as we continue to help accelerate secure and scalable digital payments across Egypt.” — Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing Director – Processing, Africa & Co-Head Group Processing, Network International

The announcement frames the four simultaneous go-lives as evidence of Network International’s processing scale and its delivery capability for multi-bank digital projects. The company said supporting all four banks within the same regulatory wave “underscores the strength, reliability, and agility of Network’s processing platform, alongside the depth of its local delivery and implementation expertise.” Network described the rollout as deploying “the highest standards of security and operational resilience” in Egypt’s digital transformation efforts.

Key details

• Number of banks enabled in this wave: four Egyptian banks
• Regulatory context: part of the Central Bank of Egypt’s third wave of tokenisation licenses
• Network International presence: more than 20 years in the Egyptian market
• Regional scale: serves 160+ banks across Africa and 65+ in the Middle East from its Egypt hub
• Prior investment: Network announced an EGP 1 billion investment in Egypt in 2023 to expand operations

Network International, which styles itself as a leading fintech across the Middle East and Africa, framed the implementation as both a technical and commercial milestone. The firm said the project demonstrates its ability to execute “complex, multi-bank digital payment initiatives at pace while maintaining the highest standards of security, operational resilience, and service quality.” The release was distributed via APO Group and highlighted the company’s commitment to expanding its footprint and brand presence in the region from its Egypt hub.

Looking ahead, Network positioned the Apple tokenisation launch as part of a wider strategy to accelerate secure and scalable digital payments across Egypt. The company’s prior EGP 1 billion investment and its claim to serve more than 160 banks in Africa and 65 in the Middle East indicate it plans to leverage local infrastructure and regional scale to support further bank integrations and consumer-facing payment services as Egypt’s tokenisation programme continues to progress under the Central Bank of Egypt.