Why the CBE and FRA are moving against Egypt’s BNPL boom

💸 In May, a warning from one of Egypt’s most senior bankers set off quite the needed conversation over how Egyptians finance their phones, fridges, and furniture. watch, runtime: 5:08 US subprime crisis

The industry Ezz El Arab was describing didn’t exist a decade ago. EGP 250 mn investment 170k users June 2025 25% of the consumer finance market

MNT-Halan wasn’t far behind, reaching unicorn status in 2023. first time

The sector-wide numbers explain why the warning resonated. grew 57% y-o-y to EGP 96.3 bn in 2025 FRA data

Trouble in loan paradise

Economists point to a specific mismatch, not just a growth rate.

The backlash isn’t just economic. Lexology report

So, what’s Om El Donia doing?

The FRA followed in May with a public, three-tier blacklist for the sector until 25 August

Here’s the thing nobody tells you at checkout:

The fix isn’t complicated: Talabat