Month: March 2024

Kokomlemle, Accra – March 28, 2024— Hubtel, a leading Ghanaian payment services provider, today announced the completion of commercial agreements with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the country’s biggest power distributor. This partnership has transformed ECG’s operations and increased revenue collection significantly. 

Hubtel’s relationship with ECG goes back to 2007, when the company, then operating as SMSGH, deployed ECG’s very first APIs for accessing postpaid bills and sending SMS alerts. In 2011, the company also managed the nationwide deployment and rollout of ECG’s first ever Point-of-Sale devices to collect payment.

Having received the first license from the Bank of Ghana to operate as an Enhanced Payment Services Provider, Hubtel approached ECG in May of 2022 with unsolicited proposals to offer its billing and payment technology to solve ECG’s numerous commercial challenges.

By July 2022, an aggressive digital transformation plan was launched by the Board of Directors of ECG, which included a proof-of-concept agreement for Hubtel to implement its proposed solutions at no upfront cost to ECG.  

In fulfillment of the requirements of the proof-of-concept, Hubtel re-designed, developed, and implemented a complete overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and payment frameworks and also took over the responsibility for processing and securing payments for bills, electricity meter credits, vendor quota purchases, and non-energy invoices.  Hubtel also collaborated with other major technology service providers and relevant departments within ECG to complete the overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and empower the company’s staff to support revenue collection and growth.  

Before Hubtel’s involvement, ECG faced significant financial and commercial challenges. Hubtel released an accompanying presentation outlining these challenges and the plans it has implemented to resolve them permanently. 

Report –  post launch of the new commercial systems in March 2023

Since the full launch of the new commercial systems in March 2023, ECG has seen the biggest jumps in its revenues and customer satisfaction ratings. 

Speaking on the news, Alex Bram, CEO of Hubtel, expressed pride in the company’s contribution to ECG’s digital transformation journey, stating, “I am proud that our billing and payment technology has proved to be exceptionally useful to ECG’s digital transformation plans. As you know, ECG is such a vast organization with very big legacy problems. So, when the Board of ECG accepted our unsolicited proposals to transform its commercial operations, we knew we had to bring the very best of our experience and technology. And I’m happy we have delivered on time and within the budget limits set by the Board.” 

He further added, “Beyond the successes we have already chalked up on this project, I’m excited about our ability to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor consumption and payments of all customers to detect illegal connections, abnormal behaviour, and tampered or faulty meters. This is not only introducing a new regime for protecting ECG’s revenues but also helping boost the company’s financial performance and strengthen Ghana’s economy.” 

In a note, the Head of Infrastructure at Hubtel, Francis Wilson wrote that “We have tremendously reduced the frequent downtimes, erratic service failure, and poor network performance that was affecting both prepaid and postpaid metering systems. Through the implementation of real-time monitoring tools and a dedicated, proactive monitoring team available 24/7 to oversee transactions, infrastructure, applications, metering systems, and networks, ECG’s metering systems now achieve uptime levels consistently surpassing 99% for many days, leading to improved service quality and customer satisfaction, ultimately driving revenue growth.” 

In an interview, Patrick Asare-Frimpong, Head of Products at Hubtel, emphasized the need to keep in mind the sole objective of constant innovation to drive revenue growth for ECG as demanded by the Board and management of ECG. “This partnership empowers both ECG and its customers to foster a more efficient service delivery. Hubtel’s teams have played a key role in developing several new products and systems, such as the ECG PowerApp mobile application, ECG PowerApp web application, third-party vending systems, bank & fintech integration tools, staff portal, backend portals, real-time revenue monitoring and assurance systems, and an all-new OperationZero App to tackle power theft specifically. The most important requirement here is to keep improving these systems until ECG becomes strongly profitable.” 

Commenting about the cost of the project and the recurring operating costs of the new systems, Cornelis Rouloph Otoo, Hubtel’s Head of Corporate and Legal Affairs, explained that “While the project is still ongoing, Hubtel’s work with all the other consultants and third-party service providers have not exceeded the US$25m limit we committed to. So far, US$ 12m of this has been accessed to pay for software license fees, database license fees, cloud infrastructure fees, service support, and engineering man-hours. For these systems, ECG has demanded to own all licenses and intellectual property comprehensively.” 

On the recurring costs of the project, he added that, “As we do with our standard agreements with merchants and retailers using Hubtel’s platform, we charge a fee of 1.95% on all transactions processed through the platform. 1% of this 1.95% is typically retained by the mobile money and card scheme providers, and Hubtel receives 0.95% as our fees. In the case of ECG and the complexities of its settlement requirements, we passed on all fees retained by the upstream mobile money & card, settlement, and banking service providers directly to ECG so that we can maintain our fee of 0.95%. Thus, for clarity, Hubtel’s recurring fee for managing ECG’s new commercial systems is 0.95% – the same as we receive from every business that uses Hubtel’s platform.” 

Mr. Otoo went on to say that “…the current payment processing, settlement, and transfer arrangements place significant responsibilities on Hubtel to ensure operational excellence at all times, and we have since November 2022 fulfilled this obligation without any glitch.” 

About ECG 

The Electricity Company of Ghana is the country’s biggest power distributor whose main objective is to supply/distribute electrical energy to the people of Ghana within the Company’s operational areas. The Company aims at operating on sound commercial lines in the discharge of its duties. It also aims at judicious supervision of rural electrification projects on behalf of the Government of Ghana.  

About Hubtel 

Hubtel is a leading indigenous Ghanaian tech company that makes it easy for people to find and pay for everyday essentials and connect with businesses. The company has a mobile application that lets you order food and everyday essentials, pay bills, and make payments. 

The company’s mission is to drive Africa forward by enabling everyone find and pay for everyday essentials. Hubtel is aiming to be Africa’s most useful company; building a platform that everyone can find, pay and easily partake in the emerging digital economy across the continent. 

Kokomlemle, Accra – March 28, 2024— Hubtel, a leading Ghanaian payment services provider, today announced the completion of commercial agreements with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the country’s biggest power distributor. This partnership has transformed ECG’s operations and increased revenue collection significantly. 

Hubtel’s relationship with ECG goes back to 2007, when the company, then operating as SMSGH, deployed ECG’s very first APIs for accessing postpaid bills and sending SMS alerts. In 2022, the relationship was rekindled when Hubtel approached ECG with unsolicited proposals to offer its billing and payment technology to solve ECG’s numerous commercial challenges. By July 2022, an aggressive digital transformation plan was launched by the Board of Directors of ECG, which included a proof-of-concept agreement for Hubtel to implement its proposed solutions at no upfront cost to ECG.  

In fulfillment of the requirements of the proof-of-concept, Hubtel re-designed, developed, and implemented a complete overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and payment frameworks and also took over the responsibility for processing and securing payments for bills, electricity meter credits, vendor quota purchases, and non-energy invoices.  Hubtel also collaborated with other major technology service providers and relevant departments within ECG to complete the overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and empower the company’s staff to support revenue collection and growth.  

Before Hubtel’s involvement, ECG faced significant financial and commercial challenges. Hubtel released an accompanying presentation outlining these challenges and the plans it has implemented to resolve them permanently. 

Since the full launch of the new commercial systems in March 2023, ECG has seen the biggest jumps in its revenues and customer satisfaction ratings. 

Speaking on the news, Alex Bram, CEO of Hubtel, expressed pride in the company’s contribution to ECG’s digital transformation journey, stating, “I am proud that our billing and payment technology has proved to be exceptionally useful to ECG’s digital transformation plans. As you know, ECG is such a vast organization with very big legacy problems. So, when the Board of ECG accepted our unsolicited proposals to transform its commercial operations, we knew we had to bring the very best of our experience and technology. And I’m happy we have delivered on time and within the budget limits set by the Board.” 

He further added, “Beyond the successes we have already chalked up on this project, I’m excited about our ability to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor consumption and payments of all customers to detect illegal connections, abnormal behaviour, and tampered or faulty meters. This is not only introducing a new regime for protecting ECG’s revenues but also helping boost the company’s financial performance and strengthen Ghana’s economy.” 

In a note, the Head of Infrastructure at Hubtel, Francis Wilson wrote that “We have tremendously reduced the frequent downtimes, erratic service failure, and poor network performance that was affecting both prepaid and postpaid metering systems. Through the implementation of real-time monitoring tools and a dedicated, proactive monitoring team available 24/7 to oversee transactions, infrastructure, applications, metering systems, and networks, ECG’s metering systems now achieve uptime levels consistently surpassing 99% for many days, leading to improved service quality and customer satisfaction, ultimately driving revenue growth.” 

In an interview, Patrick Asare-Frimpong, Head of Products at Hubtel, emphasized the need to keep in mind the sole objective of constant innovation to drive revenue growth for ECG as demanded by the Board and management of ECG. “This partnership empowers both ECG and its customers to foster a more efficient service delivery. Hubtel’s teams have played a key role in developing several new products and systems, such as the ECG PowerApp mobile application, ECG PowerApp web application, third-paying vending systems, bank & fintech integration tools, staff portal, backend portals, real-time revenue monitoring and assurance systems, and an all-new OperationZero App to tackle power theft specifically. The most important requirement here is to keep improving these systems until ECG becomes strongly profitable.” 

Commenting about the cost of the project and the recurring operating costs of the new systems, Cornelis Rouloph Otoo, Hubtel’s Head of Corporate and Legal Affairs, explained that “While the project is still ongoing, Hubtel’s work with all the other consultants and third-party service providers have not exceeded the US$25m limit we committed to. So far, US$ 12m of this has been accessed to pay for software license fees, database license fees, cloud infrastructure fees, service support, and engineering man-hours. For these systems, ECG has demanded to own all licenses and intellectual property comprehensively.” 

On the recurring costs of the project, he added that, “As we do with our standard agreements with merchants and retailers using Hubtel’s platform, we charge a fee of 1.95% on all transactions processed through the platform. 1% of this 1.95% is typically retained by the mobile money and card scheme providers, and Hubtel receives 0.95% as our fees. In the case of ECG and the complexities of its settlement requirements, we passed on all fees retained by the upstream mobile money & card, settlement, and banking service providers directly to ECG so that we can maintain our fee of 0.95%. Thus, for clarity, Hubtel’s recurring fee for managing ECG’s new commercial systems is 0.95% – the same as we receive from every business that uses Hubtel’s platform.” 

Mr. Otoo went on to say that “…the current payment processing, settlement, and transfer arrangements place significant responsibilities on Hubtel to ensure operational excellence at all times, and we have since November 2022 fulfilled this obligation without any glitch.” 

About ECG 

The Electricity Company of Ghana is the country’s biggest power distributor whose main objective is to supply/distribute electrical energy to the people of Ghana within the Company’s operational areas. The Company aims at operating on sound commercial lines in the discharge of its duties. It also aims at judicious supervision of rural electrification projects on behalf of the Government of Ghana.  

About Hubtel 

Hubtel is a leading indigenous Ghanaian tech company that makes it easy for people to find and pay for everyday essentials and connect with businesses. The company has a mobile application that lets you order food and everyday essentials, pay bills, and make payments. 

The company’s mission is to drive Africa forward by enabling everyone find and pay for everyday essentials. Hubtel is aiming to be Africa’s most useful company; building a platform that everyone can find, pay and easily partake in the emerging digital economy across the continent. 

Hubtel Announces Completion of Commercial Agreement with ECG 

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Kokomlemle, Accra – March 28, 2024— Hubtel, a leading Ghanaian payment services provider, today announced the completion of commercial agreements with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the country’s biggest power distributor. This partnership has transformed ECG’s operations and increased revenue collection significantly. 

Hubtel’s relationship with ECG goes back to 2007, when the company, then operating as SMSGH, deployed ECG’s very first APIs for accessing postpaid bills and sending SMS alerts. In 2022, the relationship was rekindled when Hubtel approached ECG with unsolicited proposals to offer its billing and payment technology to solve ECG’s numerous commercial challenges. By July 2022, an aggressive digital transformation plan was launched by the Board of Directors of ECG, which included a proof-of-concept agreement for Hubtel to implement its proposed solutions at no upfront cost to ECG.  

In fulfillment of the requirements of the proof-of-concept, Hubtel re-designed, developed, and implemented a complete overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and payment frameworks and also took over the responsibility for processing and securing payments for bills, electricity meter credits, vendor quota purchases, and non-energy invoices.  Hubtel also collaborated with other major technology service providers and relevant departments within ECG to complete the overhaul of ECG’s commercial systems and empower the company’s staff to support revenue collection and growth.  

Before Hubtel’s involvement, ECG faced significant financial and commercial challenges. Hubtel released an accompanying presentation outlining these challenges and the plans it has implemented to resolve them permanently. 

[insert slideshow of presentation] 

Since the full launch of the new commercial systems in March 2023, ECG has seen the biggest jumps in its revenues and customer satisfaction ratings. 

Speaking on the news, Alex Bram, CEO of Hubtel, expressed pride in the company’s contribution to ECG’s digital transformation journey, stating, “I am proud that our billing and payment technology has proved to be exceptionally useful to ECG’s digital transformation plans. As you know, ECG is such a vast organization with very big legacy problems. So, when the Board of ECG accepted our unsolicited proposals to transform its commercial operations, we knew we had to bring the very best of our experience and technology. And I’m happy we have delivered on time and within the budget limits set by the Board.” 

He further added, “Beyond the successes we have already chalked up on this project, I’m excited about our ability to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor consumption and payments of all customers to detect illegal connections, abnormal behaviour, and tampered or faulty meters. This is not only introducing a new regime for protecting ECG’s revenues but also helping boost the company’s financial performance and strengthen Ghana’s economy.” 

In a note, the Head of Infrastructure at Hubtel, Francis Wilson wrote that “We have tremendously reduced the frequent downtimes, erratic service failure, and poor network performance that was affecting both prepaid and postpaid metering systems. Through the implementation of real-time monitoring tools and a dedicated, proactive monitoring team available 24/7 to oversee transactions, infrastructure, applications, metering systems, and networks, ECG’s metering systems now achieve uptime levels consistently surpassing 99% for many days, leading to improved service quality and customer satisfaction, ultimately driving revenue growth.” 

In an interview, Patrick Asare-Frimpong, Head of Products at Hubtel, emphasized the need to keep in mind the sole objective of constant innovation to drive revenue growth for ECG as demanded by the Board and management of ECG. “This partnership empowers both ECG and its customers to foster a more efficient service delivery. Hubtel’s teams have played a key role in developing several new products and systems, such as the ECG PowerApp mobile application, ECG PowerApp web application, third-paying vending systems, bank & fintech integration tools, staff portal, backend portals, real-time revenue monitoring and assurance systems, and an all-new OperationZero App to tackle power theft specifically. The most important requirement here is to keep improving these systems until ECG becomes strongly profitable.” 

Commenting about the cost of the project and the recurring operating costs of the new systems, Cornelis Rouloph Otoo, Hubtel’s Head of Corporate and Legal Affairs, explained that “While the project is still ongoing, Hubtel’s work with all the other consultants and third-party service providers have not exceeded the US$25m limit we committed to. So far, US$ 12m of this has been accessed to pay for software license fees, database license fees, cloud infrastructure fees, service support, and engineering man-hours. For these systems, ECG has demanded to own all licenses and intellectual property comprehensively.” 

On the recurring costs of the project, he added that, “As we do with our standard agreements with merchants and retailers using Hubtel’s platform, we charge a fee of 1.95% on all transactions processed through the platform. 1% of this 1.95% is typically retained by the mobile money and card scheme providers, and Hubtel receives 0.95% as our fees. In the case of ECG and the complexities of its settlement requirements, we passed on all fees retained by the upstream mobile money & card, settlement, and banking service providers directly to ECG so that we can maintain our fee of 0.95%. Thus, for clarity, Hubtel’s recurring fee for managing ECG’s new commercial systems is 0.95% – the same as we receive from every business that uses Hubtel’s platform.” 

Mr. Otoo went on to say that “…the current payment processing, settlement, and transfer arrangements place significant responsibilities on Hubtel to ensure operational excellence at all times, and we have since November 2022 fulfilled this obligation without any glitch.” 

About ECG 

The Electricity Company of Ghana is the country’s biggest power distributor whose main objective is to supply/distribute electrical energy to the people of Ghana within the Company’s operational areas. The Company aims at operating on sound commercial lines in the discharge of its duties. It also aims at judicious supervision of rural electrification projects on behalf of the Government of Ghana.  

About Hubtel 

Hubtel is a leading indigenous Ghanaian tech company that makes it easy for people to find and pay for everyday essentials and connect with businesses. The company has a mobile application that lets you order food and everyday essentials, pay bills, and make payments. 

The company’s mission is to drive Africa forward by enabling everyone find and pay for everyday essentials. Hubtel is aiming to be Africa’s most useful company; building a platform that everyone can find, pay and easily partake in the emerging digital economy across the continent. 

Easter is just around the corner. Have you made plans yet to celebrate with family and friends or even by yourself? Whether you are planning to stay indoors, or get out and about this Easter holidays, there are many fun ways to celebrate. Here is our list of four Easter activities that you can enjoy over the Easter weekend. 

Picnic 

At this point Easter Monday is almost synonymous with picnics. We love picnics because we get to spend it with family and friends, and the food is the most delicious. Whether you are planning to go full chef mode for your picnic or looking to order all you need, we are here for you. Order all your picnic must-haves – delicious food from your favorite restaurants, drinks, biscuits, you name it.  

Netflix and chill? Movie marathon? YouTube binging? 

Two holidays plus the weekend? Sounds like the perfect time for a movie marathon or binging your favorite YouTubers. Whatever is perfect for you, we’ve got you. You can pay your GOtv, DStv, or StarTimes subscription without leaving the comfort of your room or get instant data for YouTube or Netflix. And don’t forget the snacks. Just order; we deliver straight to your door. 

Out and about! 

Feeling a little extra for Easter? Go all out and enjoy your day at fun events happening during the holiday. Whether you want to watch a play, go on a trip, or party vibes, there are many events for you to choose from on the Hubtel app. If a good comedy show is what you are looking for, no worries, we’ve got you. Get tickets to all the fun events easily on the app. 

Order in and enjoy! 

If you don’t feel like going out or cooking for this Easter, you don’t have to. Sit back and get your favorite food delivered straight to you. Whether you are feeling for fufu, Jollof, Waakye, or whatever it is, just order your Easter cravings — we will deliver it to you in no time. 

Ready to have the best Easter ever? We are with you on this one! 

Download the Hubtel app! 

There’s an easier way to find exactly what you’re looking for on the Hubtel app. Whether it’s your favorite restaurants or something more specific like Waakye or FanIce, you can quickly and easily find whatever you need with the improved search feature. 

What can you expect? 

A more tailored search experience 

We’ve made it easier for you to find what you’re looking for with an improved search feature that scans across all categories (food, groceries, bills, etc.) to enhance your overall app experience. Previously, you would have had to navigate through specific categories to find what you needed. Now, all you have to do is search. 

Located right at the top of your screen, simply click on the bar with the magnifying glass icon and type whatever you are looking for: Waakye, Jollof, contraceptives, FanIce, and the list goes on. For example, if you’re craving delicious hot Waakye, you can search for the name of your go-to Waakye joint, and it will quickly appear for you to order. Alternatively, you can simply search for “Waakye,” and a list of all Waakye joints near you will pop up. 

There’s more for you! 

The search feature isn’t the only new addition to the app. There are several cool features to make your experience faster and more efficient. To take advantage of these features, make sure you’ve updated to the latest version of the Hubtel app on your device. 

Don’t have the app yet? Now is the time. Click here to download the Hubtel app. 

Kokomlemle, Accra – March 13, 2024: Hubtel has announced the opening of its new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab. This dedicated research and development unit will leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) particularly machine learning to enhance user engagement, build trust, and ultimately drive revenue growth for both Hubtel and businesses using its platform to process payments. 

“Hubtel’s vision is to become Africa’s most useful company,” Augustine Gyawu Adjei, Head of Engineering at Hubtel, said. “The AI Lab represents a significant step towards achieving this vision by harnessing the transformative potential of AI. We believe this technology will significantly enhance the user experience across our platforms, fostering trust and confidence in our partners and leading to sustainable growth.” He added.  

The Hubtel AI Lab will focus on utilizing areas such as machine learning, with a specific emphasis on: 

• Enhancing User Engagement: By intuitively recommending relevant products and services, the AI Lab aims to increase user interaction with Hubtel’s apps and services. 

• Strengthening Security: Leveraging AI solutions, the Lab will bolster fraud detection capabilities, protecting both Hubtel and its clients from financial losses. 

• Improving Revenue Generation: Utilizing AI-powered creditworthiness assessments, the Lab will enable Hubtel to expand its reach and provide financial services to a wider population. 

 The Lab’s immediate goals include fully deploying a revolutionized fraud detection engine by the end of Q1 2024 and establishing a creditworthiness assessment solution by Q2. Progress will be tracked through user engagement metrics, fraud reduction rates, and the accuracy of creditworthiness assessments. 

In the long term, Hubtel’s aims for the AI Lab are ambitious. The company envisions the Lab becoming a center of excellence in AI, not just within Hubtel but across Africa. This mission encompasses: 

• Fostering global innovation: Hubtel aims to develop AI solutions that can be scaled globally, positioning the company as a leader in the field. 

• Driving entrepreneurship and economic development: The Lab will establish an ecosystem where AI fuels innovation and economic growth across the continent. 

• Influencing ethical AI practices: Hubtel is committed to promoting responsible and ethical development of AI within the tech industry. 

In a catch-up with Hubtel’s Chief Executive Officer, Alex Bram, he was buoyant about the prospects AI opportunities presents for the company, saying “Our AI Lab isn’t just about cool tech, it’s about delivering real value to the users on Hubtel. Imagine safeguarding finances with smarter fraud detection, optimizing utility consumption to help protect the revenues of our key merchants through AI-powered insights, and unlocking new financial opportunities for individuals through accurate creditworthiness assessments. That’s the power we’re harnessing at Hubtel AI Lab”.  

The launch of the Hubtel AI Lab also represents a significant development not only for the company but also for Ghana’s technology landscape. By harnessing the power of AI, Hubtel is poised to revolutionize user experiences, enhance security, and drive sustainable growth, paving the way to strengthen the course of a successful digital economy for Ghana and Africa at large.  

About Hubtel 

Hubtel is a leading indigenous Ghanaian tech company that makes it easy for people to find and pay for everyday essentials and connect with businesses. The company has a mobile application that lets you order food and everyday essentials, pay bills, and make payments. 

The company’s mission is to drive Africa forward by enabling everyone to find and pay for everyday essentials. Hubtel is aiming to be Africa’s most useful company; building a platform that everyone can find, pay and easily partake in the emerging digital economy across the continent. 

In a big step forward, Hubtel, a leading indigenous Ghanaian company, has established the first indigenous Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab in Ghana, marking a significant leap in the company’s bid to realizing its vision. With a vision to be Africa’s most useful company to help everyone easily partake in the digital economy, Hubtel’s new AI lab aims to harness the power of AI and machine learning to address real-world challenges faced by Ghana and Africa today. 

The Power of AI in Everyday Life 

In Tanzania, a farmer utilizes Google’s AI to diagnose and manage crop diseases. That is the transformative power of AI in agriculture. Hubtel’s AI lab envisions creating innovative solutions that can be applied across various sectors. AI has the potential to revolutionize e-commerce, health, and education in Africa, offering practical and efficient solutions to long-standing challenges. 

Augustine Gyawu Adjei, Head of Engineering at Hubtel who leads Hubtel’s AI efforts, explained that the decision to use AI was carefully planned to align with the company’s vision. “Our decision to leverage artificial intelligence stems from careful planning and consideration of myriads of factors to align with company objectives, local and international regulations, and best practices” 

On a commercial scale, Hubtel’s AI Lab leverages AI systems to help businesses grow profit and stop fraud.  

Fraud Detection:  

One of the transformative applications of AI that has significantly impacted businesses on a commercial scale is fraud detection. Hubtel’s AI lab developed cutting algorithms that identified and prevented faulty meters that were causing revenue leakage for the Electricity Company of Ghana thereby safeguarding financial transactions. Whether it’s unauthorized access to accounts or fraudulent credit card transactions, AI-driven solutions have the potential to enhance security and protect businesses from financial losses. 

Driving Revenue Growth:  

AI’s impact extends beyond security measures, playing a pivotal role in driving revenue growth for businesses. Through data analytics and machine learning algorithms, companies can gain valuable insights into consumer behaviour, preferences, and market trends. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also contributes to increased revenue streams, illustrating how AI is reshaping the landscape of commerce in Africa. 

The CEO of Hubtel, Alex Bram emphasizes the significance of the AI lab in creating solutions for businesses and clients.  “Our AI Lab isn’t just about cool tech, it’s about delivering real value to the users on Hubtel. Imagine safeguarding finances with smarter fraud detection, optimizing utility consumption to help protect the revenues of our key merchants through AI-powered insights, and unlocking new financial opportunities for individuals through accurate creditworthiness assessments. That’s the power we’re harnessing at Hubtel AI Lab”, he says.  

Hubtel’s opening of the first indigenous AI lab in Ghana not only showcases the company’s commitment to innovation as they’ve always demonstrated in the past, but also emphasizes the importance of solutions to address the everyday challenges faced by the businesses and organizations in Ghana.  

Happy International Women’s Day! Hubtel is proud to join millions around the world in recognizing the achievements and contributions of women. This year, we are sharing stories of women at Hubtel to #inspire inclusion.  

We spotlighted seven incredible women at Hubtel – Ruthie, Victoria, Irene, Mawunya, Franklina, Maureen, and Jennifer – and they talked about their roles, what they love about their jobs, and what keeps them going to inspire inclusion. 

Read on to hear what they have to say. 

Ruthie Armah, Machine Learning Specialist

“My job is a total thrill ride! I get to build and deploy the coolest ML models, all to push the boundaries of innovation in Marketing. The real fun begins when I get to team up with clients and stakeholders, to understand their needs and create solution models that knock their problems right out of the park.   

As the first (and hopefully not the last!) female ML specialist, I feel like the “Captain Marvel” of the AI Avengers team (yep, that’s what they call me!). My role at Hubtel allows me to combine my passion for machine learning with real-world applications that make a tangible impact. I’ve got all the resources I could ever need – a world-class working environment, top-notch computing resources, etc. The best part is the talented and diverse team I get to work with, who bring unique perspectives and expertise to the table, making every project an exciting learning experience, and a supportive, collaborative team that’s got my back every step of the way.   

As a self-taught female ML scientist, my journey has been nothing short of epic. And you know what I’ve learned? The barriers to women’s success are nothing but a flimsy glass wall. All you have to do is run at it with full speed, and you’ll shatter it into a million pieces! So, let’s keep shattering those barriers and having a blast while we’re at it!” 

Victoria Alajemba, Lead Engineer 

“I work as a mobile engineer at Hubtel, mainly working on the Hubtel app that allows you to find and pay for everyday essentials from local retailers and service providers. 

The best part of my job is building features that enable everyone to participate in the digital economy. It’s amazing to think about how, in a matter of seconds, you can buy food, send money, or get car insurance. It’s even more satisfying knowing that the work I do makes the lives of Ghanaian residents easier.  

Additionally, working at Hubtel is all about finding your flow. Understand what works best for you and Hubtel will allow you to grow into your very best self. The trust you get the very first day is crazy. 

If I could offer one piece of advice, it’s that the tech industry offers numerous opportunities, and women seeking to transition from more traditional white-collar jobs can explore these opportunities. If you’re already in tech and looking to level up, don’t hesitate to apply to Hubtel. I might be biased when it comes to Hubtel, but in Ghana, there’s no better place to thrive as a participant in the technology ecosystem.” 

Irene Lodonu, Market Insight Analyst 

“As a Market Insight Analyst, a greater part of my role is analyzing customer behavior and using this information to help Hubtel make informed marketing decisions. I also make sure our online content is easy to find in search engines and that is the SEO part of my role. 

The best part of my job is making sense of data and telling its story. I love seeing how numbers and trends can inform better decisions for Hubtel. Talking about Hubtel in general, the best thing is that you are allowed to be yourself to deliver results. Working at Hubtel allows you to learn and get better at your chosen career path. We are all a team of people who love tech and use it to solve everyday problems to make our customers happier. 

I’d like to encourage women to share their unique thoughts and experiences. Your different ideas are very important and can help create better, more inclusive solutions. Don’t underestimate the value of your voice and confidence; by sharing your thoughts, you can inspire more women to do the same. Let’s keep it simple and make a big impact in our respective ways.” 

Mawunya Kudu, Legal & Compliance Manager 

“My role as a Legal and Compliance Manager at Hubtel involves formulating and reviewing company policies and contracts, as well as providing guidance on the application and interpretation of industry-related laws and regulatory compliance. 

I love my role because I see its impact every day. It’s not merely routine; I am able to contribute to mitigating risks. For instance, ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies translates into avoiding fines and other sanctions. 

The semi-autonomous leadership style at Hubtel is one reason why I love my job. I find that even though there is a place for supervision, there is largely room to make certain decisions independently. On the human relations front, I have a great boss who encourages discussion and provides ample support. Additionally, my colleagues are a joy to work with.  

Women are incredibly capable and should not miss out on opportunities to grow and evolve because of self-doubt. You miss out on 100% of the chances you don’t take.” 

Franklina Amoah, Lead UX Designer 

“Hi, I’m Franklina Amoah but everyone calls me Frankie. I design solutions for our existing products to achieve goals like revenue, customer retention, and growth. As a team lead, I manage four designers, directing them on design solutions, operations, and other tasks to align with stakeholder and user preferences. 

The best part of my work is digging through a problem and finally coming up with a solution for it. Nothing will ever work in the Hubtel App without a design. That’s a subtle heavy responsibility for all designers. Every day, there’s the opportunity to either make something better or bring a new idea to life. 

I can’t love my work without my workplace. Hubtel is full of people and people make up Hubtel. To be a bit specific, I love my team. We know when it’s time to work and we know when it’s time to play. 

I had someone telling me I am too “eye-red” (meaning, I go hard for whatever I want) as a woman. I found that complimenting. It essentially meant to me that I am a go-getter. Whatever I aim to achieve, I am willing to go the extra mile to attain it—all I need to do is start.  

For everything I am today, it’s because of small actions like watching a YouTube video, practicing, and sharing my work. I encourage every woman who thinks starting is impossible to begin with small steps today. The journey may seem long, but the only way to shorten it is to take that first step.” 

Maureen Miassi, Retailer Success Executive 

“Among other responsibilities, I liaise with the Marketing Team at Hubtel to produce promotional artwork for retailers and ensure that the same standards are followed across all the zones in Ghana, when it comes to restaurant promotions and advertisements on the Hubtel App. 

The best part of my job is researching and sharing ideas on what will attract customers, based on the specific needs of each zone Hubtel operates. 

Hubtel is a place where everyone is included; there’s a diverse variety of people, young and old, friendly and reserved. It’s a workplace filled with everything you can imagine, yet there’s a strong sense of belonging. Everyone feels welcome to collaborate and work together towards the company’s vision: Building a platform that everyone can find, pay, and easily partake in the digital economy! 

As the saying goes, ‘appetite comes with eating’. The first step will make you enjoy the whole process. Even when we don’t think we can achieve our goals, taking the first bold step will mark the path. It is not going to be easy, it was never meant to be, but it will be worth it.” 

Jennifer Delali Lotse, Associate Product Manager 

“Here at Hubtel, my role is to oversee and lead the entire product development lifecycle of any product assigned to me. Ensuring all developments are adhered to, and collaborating with stakeholders to define the product vision, business model, product objectives, and success metrics. 

The best part of my job is identifying the problems people face in our digital economy and offering solutions that tell a story easy to follow, making the change and adoption of technology seamless for our users. At Hubtel we are committed to digitizing the African economy and it’s a joy to be part of this great achievement. 

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I urge us to focus on the next generation. ‘Inspire Inclusion’ is a call to action to create a world where every woman, young and old, feels valued, heard, and empowered to pursue their dreams. Let’s help younger women find their feet as they enter the tech space. Let’s create equal opportunities for them, allowing their voices to be heard.” 

Hubtel’s success story of moving from struggling competitor to market leader has been featured on AWS’s official website as the first company from Ghana to join the ranks of AWS success stories. 

The case study, now prominently showcased on the AWS website, highlights Hubtel’s remarkable journey from an inflexible on-premises infrastructure to achieving unprecedented success on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Launched in 2005, Hubtel has since evolved into Ghana’s largest mobile payments platform, and the move to AWS has been a pivotal factor in this transformative growth. 

Key Achievements: 

Revenue Soars 20x, Infrastructure Costs Slashed: 

• Hubtel’s strategic migration to AWS using Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, and Amazon EKS resulted in a 20-times increase in annual revenue, catapulting from $3 million to an impressive $62 million. 
• The company realized significant cost savings, slashing infrastructure costs by $1.5 million annually, demonstrating the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of AWS. 

From Struggling Competitor to Market Leader: 

• Within just two years of migrating to AWS, Hubtel witnessed a fourfold increase in annual revenue, transitioning from $3 million to an astonishing $62 million. 
• The move not only secured Hubtel’s position in the competitive mobile payments market but also showcased the strategic advantage gained by leveraging AWS’s cloud services. 

Performance Skyrockets, Focus Shifts to Innovation: 

• Hubtel’s payments platform experienced a remarkable 100-times improvement in performance compared to its previous infrastructure, enhancing customer trust and allowing the technical team to focus on innovation. 

Hubtel’s Leadership Speaks: 

Alex Bram, CEO at Hubtel, expressed pride in the team’s accomplishment, stating, “We’ve become the biggest and most popular payment provider in Ghana, and that’s all down to using AWS.” Mr. Bram highlighted the collaborative effort and strategic utilization of AWS, which played a pivotal role in turning the business around. 

Francis Wilson, Head of Infrastructure at Hubtel, emphasized the necessity of the move to AWS, stating, “We finally accepted that to scale the way the business required, we needed a big change. That’s when we started looking at AWS.” 

Looking Towards the Future: 

Hubtel’s success story on AWS is not just a retrospective celebration; it’s a testament to the company’s commitment to continuous innovation. As the case study suggests, the next challenge for Hubtel is to build a data lake and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technology to create business insights for further service development. 

Hubtel’s inclusion in AWS’s success stories marks a historic moment for Ghana’s tech ecosystem. This story celebrates the strategic prowess of Hubtel’s leadership, the dedication of its team, and the transformative power of AWS. As Hubtel looks towards the future, the company remains committed to pushing boundaries and staying at the forefront of technology. 

Read more of the Case Study here: https://aws.amazon.com/fr/solutions/case-studies/hubtel/  

Meet David Nii Kwatelai Quartey, the manager for Merchant Success and Integrations. A department responsible for ensuring merchants smoothly onboard the Hubtel platform, integrate their APIs with no challenges, and receive the necessary support and guidance. 

David Nii Kwatelai Quartey didn’t start as a manager but joined Hubtel as an intern and progressed to his current role. 

Read on to find out more about his journey at Hubtel. 

The beginning of the journey…an internship 

“Just like many fresh graduates out of school, I had big dreams. Even though I studied Geomatic Engineering, I decided not to pursue a career in my course but rather decided to start my own business. Well, let’s say that it didn’t go as planned, and I joined Hubtel as a Customer Success Intern through a network. My role was to help resolve customer complaints and ensure customers were satisfied with our services.” 

Growth, growth, and more growth 

“After completing my three-month internship, I secured a permanent position in the same department, as a User Care Specialist. While in the role, I became interested in software engineering. This is because I found myself in an environment where most of my colleagues were software engineers. I started learning from online resources like YouTube and Udemy. During this self-learning phase, a vacancy came up for a Retail Systems Engineer, which aligned with my growing interest. I applied for the position and got the job.”  

“My colleagues were supportive, always helping when I needed assistance, and I appreciate that a lot. I think I had amassed some qualities that made me qualify for a systems engineer and coupled with the experience that I had working at Hubtel, it complemented the role quite well.”  

“At the time, my role as a Retail Systems Engineer involved POS configurations for merchants, and that’s how I found myself becoming a POS technician as well. Over time, when the department expanded, I found myself being the manager.” 

What it’s like to work in Merchant Success and Integrations   

“The Merchant Success and Integrations department, in simple terms, consists of three main roles: Merchant Success Officers, who assist businesses with onboarding and ongoing support; POS Technicians, responsible for Hubtel POS setups and support; and Retail Systems Engineers, primarily tasked with maintaining Hubtel APIs and aiding businesses in integrating them smoothly.” 

“A typical day for me starts with a team stand-up meeting to review the previous day’s activities with each team member. Following that, I meet with supervisors to discuss, update, or optimize strategies, and analyze reports and data to identify areas for improvement. If there are any pending projects or tasks, I coordinate internally with the team to ensure we provide a comprehensive platform for our merchants’ success.” 

My proudest contribution 

“Every project I’ve worked on is something I’m proud of,” says Kwatelai. “When I started leading the team, there were certain updates I wanted to implement, particularly with our technical documentation. Together with my team, we revamped all the technical content, streamlining the content to convey clearly what merchants needed to know. It has made the onboarding process extremely easy for our merchants. Also, I look forward to updating the developer’s portal as well.” 

Looking forward…  

“For me, anything that needs to be done has to be done well. As I progress, my goal is constant self-improvement. I aim to evolve each day, striving to surpass previous versions of myself. You can anticipate continuous growth and development from me—Kwatelai version infinity.” 

If you lack the energy to explore the beautiful city of Osu but want a taste of the delicious cuisines, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of our favorite joints in Osu for a hearty meal. Take a look and treat yourself to something exciting today. 

Breakfast – who’s in? 

Are you a ‘something light’ for breakfast lover? If the answer is yes, then we have the perfect breakfast for you. Cantonment Koko serves the best Hausa Koko. You can select Akara, Koose, or Buffloaf as your side for a perfect combo.  

And if you are looking for ‘something heavy’, Just Between Us Kenkey Buffet doesn’t disappoint. If you are after originality, you can trust that their Ga Kenkey is the best you will ever have.  

Lunchtime – the best hour of the day! 

Even though you may not have the time to step out for lunch, we will deliver your meal straight to you. 

African Delight Restaurant has been on our list of popular restaurants for as long as we can remember. We would have to warn you, after your first try, you might end up in a fufu eat-a-thon for an entire week. There’s nothing we can do about this, it’s just too good. 

If you are looking for something a little bit on the healthy side, Green Cafe has got you. Depending on how much you are ready to chow down, they have a lot of healthy food and drinks for you. 

But if you feel for waakye, you should try Rockz Waakye. It is highly recommended. Their menu offers a variety of extras and add-ons for you to choose from. Make sure you have enough space in your tummy because they serve a mountain of food.  

Did someone say treats? 

Yes, we did! If you have a sweet tooth, there’s no problem satisfying your cravings. We’ve got a variety of treats for you to choose from. If you feel for something sugary, you can try some delicious moist slice of cake from Liz’s Unique Bakery or go local by trying hot Bofrot from Esi’s Bofrot Joint.  

So, what are you waiting for? Download the Hubtel app and get food delivered straight to you.