This year marks a significant milestone for Hubtel, a company that has grown to become one of the giants in Ghana’s payment ecosystem and digital space.
Celebrating 20 years of excellence, Hubtel’s journey from its humble beginnings to its current market leadership is a story of perseverance, innovation, and commitment to providing seamless digital solutions. Over the years, Hubtel has redefined the way people connect, pay, and engage with businesses in Ghana, becoming a trusted partner for both consumers and businesses.
In 2005, a missed insurance renewal and roadside police stop sparked a simple idea: use SMS to help people remember important things. That idea gave birth to Hubtel. Twenty years later, that humble concept has grown into Ghana’s leading integrated digital commerce platform, transforming the way people communicate, pay, and thrive.
“We started by solving a simple problem—how businesses could remind customers of important updates using SMS.” reflects Alex Bram, CEO and co-founder. “We saw an opportunity to help businesses talk to their customers better through what was then the most efficient messaging solution”, his co-founder Ernest Appenteng says.
The founders admit the early stages were uncertain. Bram calls the period between May 2005 to December 2008 “fragile, uncertain days when faith was often our only capital.”
From SMS to Commerce: A Journey of Transformation
But they persisted. Alex Bram, Ernest Appenteng and Leslie Gyimah who they teamed up with saw a gap in how businesses engaged with customers and were determined to not just close that gap but develop a business out of it. Ghana’s tech ecosystem was still in its infancy but that didn’t faze them. And on that journey, there were major signs that the business will thrive.
In a powerful speech titled Letter to God at the 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Dinner, CEO Alex Bram captured not just some of the early struggled but the eureka moments too.
“Dear God, when You rewarded our labour with our first sale in October 2005, it was a cheque for GHS 500 from North American Airlines. It meant everything,” he writes. “Then more cheques came — from travel agencies, old school associations, churches, even people sending SMS messages for parties and funerals. It wasn’t glamorous. But it was real. We ended that first year with gross revenues of GHS 6,000. We saw it not as profit, but as confirmation that You were working. Working for us, working through us, working for our good, working — as long as we did your good.”
By 2008, the company’s revenue grew to GHC 1.2m and by 2009, Hubtel was getting the recognition the business needed and craved to scale up. Bram writes that “In 2009, You shifted something in our favour. The mobile networks that once overlooked us began to notice. And once again, Your timing was perfect. Because we were ready; sharpened by the quiet years and strengthened by discipline. Our preparedness met the opportunity You sent through the doors of the telcos, and a new era began: premium SMS billing.”
And then between 2011 and 2015, the growth was exponential. “Out of 47 value-added service providers, Hubtel claimed nearly 40% of the market. We had matured. We had earned respect. And when MTN Ghana named us their Top Revenue Earning Partner, we knew it wasn’t just an award — it was a quiet confirmation from You, that we had stayed the course,” Bram says.
But the lessons came fast along with the growth. In 2015, as internet access grew, the world began to change again. The very market we had helped pioneer began to disappear slowly. Customers began to prefer online experiences over SMS ones,” Bram notes.
“Businesses needed complete digital solutions—payments, delivery, commerce,” co-founder Appenteng says. “So we evolved to meet that need.” And that has meant an increasing role in everyday life. “Today, we’re helping people pay for food, bills, school fees, and everything in between—with just a few taps.”
That shift led to a rebrand and reimagination of their mission. The platform began supporting online payments, mobile money, delivery logistics, and customer communications—all within one ecosystem. “We could’ve stayed comfortable with SMS,” Bram recalls, “but pivoting into mobile payments changed everything.”
Real Impact, Real People
From micro-retailers to large enterprises, Hubtel now powers thousands of businesses across Ghana, enabling real-time payments, online ordering, and digital engagement. Consumers can use the platform to pay for utilities, school fees, food, and more—making Hubtel a trusted part of daily life.
“It made digital business a real possibility for us,” says an early retail client.
The success of Hubtel is rooted in its people. As Augustine Adjei, Head of Engineering, puts it: “Hubtel has evolved from a startup into one of Ghana’s most respected tech companies. But the spirit—the willingness to reinvent—has never changed. We’ve grown from SMS to APIs, payments, and now AI.”
Adjei highlights rebuilding the entire payments backend architecture and the launch of the AI Lab as defining moments. But his greatest lesson? “You can’t scale what you don’t structure—and people matter more than process. The culture you build will outlast your best codebase.”
That culture includes internal hackathons, Friday demos turned celebrations, and a shared sense of purpose that binds the team.
Daniel Frimpong, Head of Major Accounts, echoes that sentiment with a personal reflection:
“One lesson I’ll never forget came from Alex. During a critical moment, I asked him how he handled it. He said, ‘I read for my problems.’ That mindset—of learning your way through challenges—has shaped how I work.”
Prince Harry Nunoo, Lead Backend Engineer, sees the company’s future firmly rooted in trust and infrastructure.
“Hubtel is evolving from a service provider to a digital infrastructure partner—not just for Ghana, but across Africa.”
Looking Ahead: The Next 20 Years
Hubtel has shown a capacity to change with the times and defining trends but does not plan on stopping now.
Minister For Youth Empowerment George Opare Addo says “companies like Hubtel are very important because of the way they have helped redefine the job market over recent years.”
Sam George who is Minister of Communications says “in the broader narrative of Ghana’s digital transformation, Hubtel’s journey is both significant and foundational for a number of reasons” and says at every stage of our nation’s digital growth, Hubtel has been more than just a participant — it has been a leader.”
Hubtel board member Patience Akyeanu has high hopes too. “The future belongs to companies like Hubtel — companies that are building not just for today, but for tomorrow’s digital economy,” she says.
“The next 20 years promise even more exciting challenges and opportunities: artificial Intelligence is becoming a part of our everyday life. Big Data will drive businesses, education and science. And Digital Financial inclusion will continue to be a big deal. I am confident that Hubtel, with its culture of innovation and deep understanding of the Ghanaian consumer, will continue to lead,” she continues.
The Hubtel Movement
From an SMS reminder tool to a digital commerce engine driving Ghana’s fintech revolution, Hubtel’s 20-year story is one of grit, reinvention, and collective purpose. The company has enabled millions of transactions, supported thousands of merchants, and built a team that believes in solving real problems for real people. As Hubtel looks ahead to the next 20 years, one thing is certain: the journey is far from over.
The post Celebrating 20 years of Hubtel: Ghana’s biggest start-up first appeared on 3News.
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