Tunisia’s leading microfinance institution, Enda Tamweel, has launched a distributed ledger technology (DLT)-driven loyalty programme built on the Hedera network, in a move that signals growing adoption of blockchain solutions beyond cryptocurrency speculation.
The initiative, developed in partnership with Swiss non-profit The Hashgraph Association, is among the first applications of Hedera’s DLT within the microfinance sector across Africa and the Middle East, highlighting a shift towards technology-enabled financial inclusion models.
Unlike traditional loyalty schemes, the programme rewards customers not only for timely loan repayments but also for environmentally and socially responsible behaviour. Transactions are recorded on the Hedera network, introducing a level of transparency and traceability often absent in conventional systems.
The platform integrates with Enda Tamweel’s existing infrastructure via application programming interfaces (APIs), allowing for expansion without the need for costly system overhauls — a key consideration in emerging markets.
Enda Tamweel dominates Tunisia’s microfinance landscape, accounting for approximately 79% of the market and serving over 544,000 active clients. Since inception, the institution has reached 1.3 million beneficiaries through 5.6 million loans, with total disbursements estimated at $4.2bn.
The new loyalty system aligns with the organisation’s broader financial inclusion strategy, particularly its focus on women and rural entrepreneurs who remain underserved by traditional banking systems. A built-in referral mechanism is expected to attract up to 120,000 new clients annually.
“Sustainable financial inclusion goes beyond access to credit and requires fostering long-term customer relationships that drive meaningful outcomes,” said Mohamed Zmandar, chief executive of Enda Tamweel.
Africa’s microfinance sector is on a strong growth trajectory, with projections suggesting it could exceed $300bn by 2026. For The Hashgraph Association, the deployment represents part of a wider strategy to scale Web3 infrastructure across Africa and the Middle East.
Its president, Kamal Youssefi, said the partnership demonstrates that DLT-based systems can be both transparent and practical, countering perceptions of blockchain as overly complex or opaque.
Zmandar described the initiative as central to Enda Tamweel’s long-term vision, embedding transparency into customer relationships while reinforcing microfinance as a vehicle for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
At the core of the programme is Hedera’s DLT infrastructure, which enables behavioural incentives — including financial discipline, social engagement and environmental responsibility — to be recorded and verified with a level of auditability not typically associated with legacy loyalty systems.
The rollout adds to a growing pipeline of enterprise-grade blockchain applications across the continent, reflecting increasing interest among African financial institutions in leveraging distributed ledger technology for real-world, impact-driven use cases.
