Gursha launches Ethiopia’s first supermarket cash-back platform

ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia has witnessed growth in digital wallets, restaurant coupon apps, and delivery services, but a cash-back system for supermarket purchases has not existed until now.

Gursha, a newly launched Ethiopian startup, introduces a model similar to Ibotta and Rakuten for physical grocery stores, starting with Arada Mart as its first partner and planning to expand to additional retailers.

The launch coincides with a broader transformation in the country’s financial sector, where banks are rolling out digital solutions, mobile banking apps are becoming common, and electronic payment networks are expanding.

Urban middle-class consumers, often young, smartphone-savvy, and conscious of household budgets, are increasingly seeking ways to save on everyday purchases without altering their shopping routines.

Gursha allows shoppers to earn cash-back directly from in-store grocery spending, aiming to turn routine supermarket trips into measurable savings while providing supermarkets with a tool to track customer behavior.

For retailers, the platform offers more than simple discounts by enabling promotions linked to actual purchasing data, a feature that could support customer retention in a competitive market like Addis Ababa.

The Gursha team previously launched Shewaber, a coupon app for restaurants, which highlighted challenges in Ethiopia’s discount ecosystem including tight merchant margins, onboarding difficulties, and the need for a simple user experience.

Supermarkets, with more frequent visits and higher purchase volumes, are viewed as a more scalable environment for testing cash-back incentives.

Gursha sits at the convergence of retail and financial technology, connecting digital payment adoption, in-store shopping, and targeted promotions, potentially becoming part of the country’s retail infrastructure.

The platform’s success will depend on habitual use, fast and reliable redemption, and meaningful rewards that influence shopper behavior, alongside measurable benefits for supermarkets in terms of repeat visits and larger baskets.

Ethiopia’s retail scene

Ethiopia’s supermarket sector remains in its early stages, dominated by open-air markets and small independent grocers, which account for more than 90 percent of grocery sales nationwide, with modern chains mostly concentrated in Addis Ababa.

Major domestic supermarket chains include Shoa, regarded as one of the earliest and largest operators, Fantu with a focus on variety, Safeway catering to premium goods, Friendship offering imported and specialty products, All-Mart with multiple outlets, and Bambis.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.