Operating under the theme "Built Around You," Sao enters the Ghanaian market with a proposition centred on making digital payments more accessible, transparent and connected, while building infrastructure that enables money to move more easily across borders.
"Sao is not building a wallet. Sao is building a connected rail: a single infrastructure on which money moves between countries, between institutions and between people, under licence, at low cost," said the Group Chief Executive Officer of Sao Payment Global Limited.
From São Tomé and Príncipe to Ghana
Sao was founded in São Tomé and Príncipe, where it set out to address a fundamental gap in financial access: the absence of licensed digital wallet, agent network and payments infrastructure for ordinary citizens.
The company has since expanded its operations to Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, with Ghana becoming its fifth live market.
Sao is also progressing its expansion into Rwanda, Tanzania and three additional markets, with an ambition to reach ten markets by the end of 2026.
The company's longer-term vision is to build a unified African wallet and payments network connected to major global corridors across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Ghana as a regional hub
Sao sees Ghana as more than another market in its expansion strategy.
The company intends to make Ghana its hub for Anglophone West Africa, its centre for regional regulatory coordination and an important connection point for payment corridors linking Africa with Europe, the Gulf and North America.
"Sao is a global payments company with African roots. Ghana is strategically important to that story," said the Country General Manager of Sao Ghana. "Ghanaians do not need just another wallet. They need a better one."
Built around everyday financial needs
At launch, Sao's offering in Ghana includes the Sao Wallet, designed to allow customers to open a digital wallet using their Ghana Card in approximately two minutes without visiting a branch or physical location.
Customers can use the wallet to send and receive money, pay bills, purchase airtime, make QR payments to merchants, and cash in or cash out through Sao's agent network.
The platform also introduces Group Savings Wallets, designed for susu groups, families, church welfare groups and associations, allowing members to make visible contributions and operate under agreed withdrawal rules.
Through Sao Agent, customers can locate nearby registered agents through a live map within the app, including information on their operating hours and availability.
For businesses, Sao Pay enables merchants to accept payments through QR at no upfront cost, while providing collections, payouts and settlement capabilities.
Sao is also developing solutions for institutions including churches, schools, SMEs, government agencies, NGOs and FMCG distribution networks.
A focus on transparency, security and inclusion
Sao says transparency will be central to its operations in Ghana. The company has committed to publishing its Ghana tariff in full and displaying applicable fees to customers before transactions are confirmed.
The company has also committed to acknowledging customer complaints within two hours, resolving first-tier issues within 24 hours and disputes within 48 hours.
Sao operates against internationally recognised standards and holds ISO 9001, ISO 22301, ISO 27001 and ISO 20000-1 certifications.
Its Ghana operations will process customer data in accordance with Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), alongside the company's broader cybersecurity and compliance standards.
The company has also established inclusion targets for its Ghana operations, including a target for 40 percent of registrations to come from first-time formal financial users, more than 40 percent of active users to be women, more than 30 percent to be under 30, and half of merchant activations to be women-owned by 2030.
Building a connected payments future
Sao's Ghana launch forms part of a broader ambition to create a payments network that allows individuals, businesses and institutions to transact across markets through a common infrastructure.
The company currently lists Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, RIA, Ecobank, UBA and GTCO among its partners.
With Ghana now live, Sao will focus on expanding its customer, agent and merchant networks while building the cross-border connections that underpin its wider African expansion.
As the company puts it, "Connecting the world" is the ambition. In Ghana, that ambition begins with being "Built Around You."
About Sao Payment Global Limited
Sao Payment Global Limited is a licensed financial technology company founded in São Tomé and Príncipe. The company builds and operates digital payments infrastructure including wallets, merchant payments, agent networks, cards and cross-border transfers.
Sao currently operates in São Tomé and Príncipe, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Ghana, with further expansion planned across Africa and international payment corridors.
Company line: Connecting the world.
Ghana launch line: Built Around You.
Website: saopayglobal.com
Ghana: @SaoGhana
Contact: [email protected]
SOURCE Sao Payment
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