…at tech giant’s 20th anniversary gala
A powerful call to foster a non-partisan environment for Ghanaian enterprises resonated at the 20th-anniversary celebration of Hubtel, the nation’s leading payment services provider. Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine, speaking at the commemorative event in Accra, emphasized the critical need to “depoliticise and support home-grown businesses like Hubtel,” underscoring their importance to national development irrespective of political affiliations.
The Attorney General lauded Hubtel’s remarkable journey from a campus startup to a fintech powerhouse.
“All that has been said this evening is a story of a great company [Hubtel], home-grown on Ghanaian soil, by young people who had dreams but also relied on God,” Dr. Ayine stated, acknowledging the founders’ vision and divine guidance.
He then pivoted to a crucial national issue, stressing, “I want to say one thing, about the fact that we need to depoliticise business in this country, that is extremely important. We need to support businesses to grow; there are no NDC businesses, and there are no NPP businesses.”
This appeal for national unity in nurturing local talent formed a central theme of his address.
The anniversary, marking two decades since Hubtel’s inception in 2005 by three graduates from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was a moment of reflection on innovation, resilience, and significant economic impact.
Originally startee to enhance business-to-customer communication via bulk SMS, Hubtel has evolved into a company with ambitions of becoming Ghana’s first tech unicorn.
Echoing the Attorney General’s sentiments on Hubtel’s national significance, Minister of Communications, Digital Technology & Innovation, Sam George, praised the company’s pioneering role.
“At every stage of our nation’s digital growth, Hubtel has been more than just a participant — it has been a leader,” he remarked.
“I am in no doubt that the Hubtel story highlights a major fact we should all be proud of as Ghanaians.”
Minister George further detailed Hubtel’s contributions: “By doing what it has done over the last two decades, Hubtel is already playing a critical role in that future: In deepening financial inclusion. In democratizing access to e-commerce. In creating platforms that enable small businesses to thrive. In developing homegrown tech that competes globally.”
The impact on employment was highlighted by George Opare-Addo, Minister for Youth Empowerment.
“Hubtel are very important because of the way they have helped redefine the job market over recent years,” he noted.
“To efficiently tackle unemployment, we need to fully utilize digital innovation in every sphere of our lives. Hubtel has done that superbly in the fintech space and through innovation is creating new kinds of jobs that did not exist 10 years ago, jobs that allow young people to leverage technology, solve problems, deliver services and power the economy.”
He added, “Every young software engineer, customer success agent, product designer, marketer, and delivery partner at Hubtel is a testament to how digital businesses can directly fight unemployment — and win. And for this, we must applaud Hubtel.”
Hubtel’s journey has been characterized by bold innovation and learning from setbacks. As of 2023, the company had securely processed nearly GHS 160 billion in transactions and transfers, serving over 8,000 businesses and 12 million customers, supported by 932 delivery riders across eight Ghanaian cities.
The team itself has grown from three founders to 722 professionals.
Alex Bram, Co-founder and CEO of Hubtel, reflected on the milestone: “Reaching this 20-year milestone reflects our relentless focus on innovation and community. It’s a moment of pride, and we are proud of the role we’ve played in Ghana’s fintech growth.”
The 20th-anniversary event was not just a celebration of Hubtel’s past successes but a clarion call for a future where Ghanaian innovation receives unwavering, apolitical support to thrive on both local and global stages.
