Moving from 2.8 to 2.9, the market exhibits innovation advancements while harboring opportunities for further development in anti-fraud technology; ​​The entry of the Saudi market into the rating boosts the region's average score; Data shows promising DCB potential for Morocco, South Africa, and Egypt, the top countries in this year's ranking; Ivory Coast registers the highest growth in the Index, from 2.4 to 3.1.

Evina (www.Evina.com), a cybersecurity for Carrier Billing company and Telecoming (www.Telecoming.com), a tech firm developing DCB experiences, released the 2023 edition of the DCB Index today. The DCB Index 2023 offers a detailed analysis of the Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) market's progression and potential in the Middle East and Africa. This year's edition continues to rank countries on a 5-point scale, incorporating new insights into fraud prevention, innovation, local market penetration, and DCB's growth potential. The DCB Index provides insights into the Direct Carrier Billing market of countries in the Middle East and Africa region (MEA), ranking them according to their current DCB status and potential to develop this growth-boosting mobile payment method further.

For the first time, the 2023 edition of the DCB Index includes three new countries with positive ratings: Algeria at 2.9, Botswana at 2.3, and Saudi Arabia leading with a score of 3.4.

Direct Carrier Billing is a payment technology that allows mobile users to pay for any service by charging the purchase to their carrier bill.

Download the complete DCB Index here (https://apo-opa.co/3GEvDtF)

The Evina & Telecoming DCB Index results reveal that Morocco is the leading country in the ranking, with the highest score (3.6 out of 5). Almost all mobile players are deploying DCB, and the industry invests significantly in its security, making the Morocco’s DCB market a reliable and consistent sector. The market's resilience and steady progress point to a solid foundation for future DCB development. South Africa is second this year with 3.5 out of 5. Mobile users in ZA have quickly adopted alternative payment methods, such as mobile money, reaching 8 million users in South Africa this year. When combined with effective cybersecurity, this trend will enable DCB to boost revenues for mobile players significantly. 

At the same stage, Iraq (3.5 out of 5) and Egypt (3.5 out of 5) differentiated by opening more opportunities for DCB deployment and increasing their protection against fraud attempts on Direct Carrier Billing. Saudi Arabia (3.4 out of 5) is one of the new countries in the ranking and follows close behind. Also, in the Middle East and North Africa, UAE (3.3 out of 5) and Kuwait (3.0 out of 5) stole the show, surpassing last year's leaders, Qatar down to 2.9 this year from 3.3 in 2022 and Tunisia that goes down to 2.9 from 3.3 in 2023. Algeria is also new onboard and has the same level as Tunisia, with 2.9 points out of 5 on the list.

"As per the latest DCB INDEX analysis, mobile penetration in Africa and the Middle East is on track to surpass 90% by 2023. This significant growth reflects the expanding accessibility of mobile services across these regions. Notably, our findings show an impressive rise in innovation, with the indicator climbing an average of 3.4 points out of 5 this year alone. This trend is joined by the substantial growth of the most innovative new mobile payment solutions. These advancements are vital in driving the mobile economy, where DBC has already established a prominent presence. Telecoming is witnessing the region's dynamism and the exciting developments currently shaping the market." said Roberto Monge, COO of Telecoming.

"This year's ranking shows a modest increase in the overall level of security among DCB players operating in the MEA region. This positive trend is welcome, but should not mask the growing disparity in security levels between players. Some players are investing in their development and security on the DCB and reaping significant benefits in terms of growth and profitability, while others are caught in a downward spiral where they find themselves unprotected and under attack by fraudsters who target the least protected regions of the world and avoid defended players." said David Lotfi, CEO of Evina.