Press Releases
On April 25, Kyiv will welcome Third Wind — a large-scale interactive exhibition, created by Mastercard in collaboration with world-renowned psychologists, artists, and experts. This family-friendly project features over 50 installations and interactive experiences designed to help visitors better understand and interact with their emotions, transform them, find support, and unlock their ‘third wind’.
Mastercard has announced a strategic collaboration with Nomba, a leading payment solutions provider, to deliver seamless payment experiences for businesses across the country. Through this collaboration, Mastercard Gateway will be integrated into Nomba’s Checkout solution, offering businesses a seamless, secure, and efficient way to process transactions and connect with customers locally and globally.
Nigerian women are embracing entrepreneurship at an extraordinary rate, with eight in ten (83%) women consider themselves an entrepreneur—far higher than the regional average of 51% across Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA). Among them, millennial women (86%) lead the way, outpacing their male counterparts (79%).
Women's entrepreneurship is on the rise in Ukraine, playing a critical role in economic development, resilience, and recovery. Despite the challenging context, over two-thirds (68%) of Ukrainian women confirm they have considered starting their own business. The ability to pursue their dream appears to be a key motivation for starting the business as cited by almost half (48%) of female business owners in Ukraine.
The ‘Trajectory’ educational and grant program has launched its second season, aimed to support the entrepreneurial initiatives of veterans and military families. Over the course of two months, participants will engage in educational modules covering marketing, digitalisation, and business fundamentals. Based on the training outcomes, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to attract funding for their business development.
The initiative aims to support the development of the country’s fintech ecosystem and boost its global competitiveness
Mastercard has launched its global Girls4Tech program in Turkey, a program that has reached approximately 7 million girls across 64 countries to date. Aiming to empower girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to nurture the future leaders who will make a difference in the tech world, Girls4Tech kicked off in Turkey with the first training session attended by students from Darüşafaka.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 23 January 2024 - Rawbank, a bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has become the first bank in the country to integrate the Mastercard Carbon Calculator into its online banking platform, Rawbank Online, where it is now available for their customers. This initiative aims to help customers make more informed and conscious choices, aligning with Rawbank’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Mastercard has collaborated with Alerzo, a leading Nigerian B2B e-commerce company, and the USAID-funded e-Trade Alliance to accelerate the digital transformation of and enhance financial inclusion among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. This collaboration aims to empower over 10,000 MSMEs with cutting-edge digital and financial solutions, enabling them to achieve sustainable growth and thrive in the digital economy.
The six fintech startups selected for the first phase of the Mastercard Lighthouse Türkiye program, which seeks to equip fintech ventures with insights and connections, have been announced.
Ziraat Bank is taking its collaboration with Mastercard to the next level by bringing world football icon Lionel Messi onto the field as part of a strong partnership for the Bankkart campaign. Through this collaboration, Ziraat Bank aims to offer its customers not only financial services but also unique and innovative experiences.
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has collaborated with Mastercard to launch a commemorative debit card in celebration of UBA’s 75th anniversary.
Ukrainian entrepreneurs are resiliently overcoming the challenges of the third year of the full-scale war, continuing to grow their businesses and launch new ones. One in six surveyed entrepreneurs started their current business after the outbreak of the full-scale war, with 66% of them having no prior business experience. Today, 75% of entrepreneurs are leveraging digital channels for sales and customer communication, and 56% are either already exporting their products or planning to enter new markets.
On October 20, Kyiv hosted the ‘Match for Heroes’ – a unique charity football event organized by Mastercard and Oschadbank.
Ukrainian Railways, in partnership with Mastercard, has adapted its ticketing app to better serve people with vision impairments. The app's new inclusive features were developed and tested in collaboration with Access Lab (Digital Accessibility Lab).
Mastercard's Priceless platform continues to offer exclusive experiences to its users. Expanding its reach to more than 40 locations worldwide, the platform brings together consumers in various fields of life, from dining and shopping to fashion, culture, music, entertainment, sports, travel, and accommodation. The new stop for the platform is Urla, the pearl of Izmir.
Mastercard has introduced a new payment service in Ukraine called Partial Approval, which allows users to combine different payment methods for a single purchase. If there is not enough money on one bank card, users can immediately cover the remaining amount using another payment card or cash, without interrupting the transaction or splitting it into two separate receipts.
Ukrainians are increasingly embracing digitalization, especially when it comes to payments, as evidenced by the growing popularity of digital financial tools. Over the past year, 62% of Ukrainians have paid for purchases with a contactless digital card using their smartphones or other NFC-enabled devices, marking 11 pp increase from the previous year.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and global technology company Mastercard have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation within the framework of the ‘Made in Ukraine’ policy aimed at supporting Ukrainian businesses, promoting and boosting demand for domestic products and services, particularly through the implementation of the national cashback program for Ukrainian goods.
Mastercard has equipped the Ferris wheel at Kontraktova Square in Kyiv with a special inclusive passenger cabin, ensuring barrier-free access for people with disabilities. This will allow people who use wheelchairs, as well as people with visual and hearing impairments, to rise above their opportunities and experience the city from a new perspective.
АBank, in cooperation with the global technology company Mastercard, has introduced a unique solution in Ukraine, allowing entrepreneurs to receive money from cashless payments for goods and services whether made through a POS terminal or online as quickly as possible – via hourly crediting of funds to the account.
Mastercard has selected five Ukrainian fintechs working on remote identification services, online lending, automation of financial monitoring reporting as well as solutions for small and medium-sized companies for the Start Path Ukraine program.
Ukrainians continue to actively use digital channels for banking purposes. Thus, according to the MasterIndex study commissioned by Mastercard, 94% of cardholders currently use online banking, with the vast majority (75%) opting for mobile applications.
Ukrainian ride-hailing service Uklon with the support of Mastercard and MacPaw has launched the Inclusive car class. From now on, passengers using a wheelchair can easily ride in specially equipped cars.
