Payday has an interesting way of becoming more complicated than it needs to be when you’re the one managing payroll. 

You’re most likely to face one or two of these: account numbers to collect, details to confirm, new employees to add, and changes to keep track of. And before every payment goes out, everything must be checked again. 

Not because payroll itself is complicated, but because there are too many little things to keep track of. 

Payroll on Hubtel BackOffice takes care of that. You set up your payroll, your staff join themselves and verify their identity, and they choose where their pay goes. Everyone gets a professional payslip, without all the back and forth. 

What you get with Payroll 

Payroll saves you a lot of work 

Start by setting up your payroll with a name, a pay day and the deductions to be made. Once it is set up, Payroll gives you a code that you can share with your team. 

Your staff use the code to join themselves and confirm their own details, including their name, phone number and Ghana Card number, so you do not have to collect and enter this information for everyone. You can also choose to keep “Auto-approve join requests” turned off, so every request comes to you for review, and nobody is added until you confirm them. 

Once your team is set up, you can add each person’s salary by uploading one Excel file for the whole team or entering the amounts directly into the table. The salary amounts remain saved, so you do not have to enter them again for the next pay day. 

On pay day, send the pay run for approval. Nothing is paid until you, or someone you have given approval rights, approves it. Once approved, the whole team is paid in one run. 

 
No more wrong-account issues 

Each staff member proves who they are before they join by providing their Ghana Card number, completing a live face check, and confirming a one-time code sent to their phone. 

Their pay then goes into their own wallet. When they are ready to move it, they add their own Mobile Money or bank account, which must be in their own name. 

This means you do not have to collect anyone’s account details or chase someone for an updated account number. The person receiving the money is the same person verifying the account the money goes to.  

Your staff choose where their pay goes 

On pay day, the money arrives in the staff member’s own wallet, where they can see their balance. From there, they can choose whether to move it to a Mobile Money or bank account and decide when to make the transfer. 

The transfer happens from their own wallet, so you do not need to collect, enter or update their bank or Mobile Money details. 

Your staff get professional payslips 

Every staff member gets a payslip for each pay month showing what they earned, what was deducted for PAYE and SSNIT, and what they received. Each deduction comes with a short, plain explanation, so nobody has to ask what was taken off or why. 

While the month is still open, the payslip is marked provisional because more payments can still come in. On the first day of the next month, the final payslip is ready for staff to download and share. 

More to come on Payroll 

Payroll is starting with features that make paying your team simpler, and there’s more being added to make the process even easier. Soon, you will be able to lock a staff member’s pay to a specific bank account, which can be useful when a staff member has a loan tied to that account. You will also be able to make your SSNIT and PAYE statutory payments directly from BackOffice. 

Ready to run your first payroll? 

Getting your first payroll running takes four steps. 

1. Create a payroll. Log in at bo.hubtel.com and open Money. Click New Payroll. Give it a name, a pay day and the deductions you want. 

2. Share the code. Copy the code and send it to your staff by SMS, WhatsApp or email. 

3. Staff join themselves. Your staff open the link, verify who they are with their Ghana Card and a face check, enter the code, and send a request. 

4. Set salaries and pay. Add the salaries, send the pay run for approval. Your team is paid in one run, and each person gets a payslip. 

Set up Payroll today on and make payday one less thing to worry about.  

Already paying your employees directly to their accounts yourself? You can still do that. The option is now under Pay an Account. 

Accra, Ghana – September 24, 2026 – It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Mrs. Patience Enyonam Akyianu, Chair of Hubtel’s Board. 

Mrs. Patience Akyianu joined our Board in 2021 and became Chair last November. Ten months as Chair was far too short a time with such a phenomenal leader. 

As Board Chair, the three things she was keen on were clear. Maintain trust. Make everyday payments simpler for customers and merchants. Raise the bar on governance as Hubtel becomes more important for Ghana’s digital economy. And in fact, she never wandered from it. In the months that followed, those three priorities framed how our Board understood its work, and they remain the standard she leaves us with. 

She had spent a career earning the right to set that standard. Before Hubtel there was Standard Chartered, where she was Chief Financial Officer for the Africa regional operations in Johannesburg. There was Barclays Bank Ghana, now Absa, where she was Managing Director. There was Ecobank Ghana, where she sat as an Independent Non-Executive Director. And there was Hollard Ghana, where she was Group Chief Executive Officer, and where she is being mourned this week by a company that knew her as well as we did. 

Hers was a life spent in rooms where money and trust go hand in hand, and she carried that understanding into ours. 

Mrs. Akyianu served on this Board for four years before assuming the Chair. She joined in 2021 during a period of significant structural work and contributed directly to the realignment of the company’s governance architecture. That work included the formalisation of our committee systems, the strengthening of our internal control protocols, the sharpening of our audit and oversight cadence, and the alignment of our governance framework with Bank of Ghana guidelines. She brought to it the discipline of a career carried in finance, risk and regulation, and the improvements made during those years remain embedded in how this company operates today. By the time she was appointed Chair, she knew the business from the inside, and the Board’s decision reflected that. 

She treated payment reliability as an obligation to real people rather than a number on a page. For her, the people we serve were as important as the solutions we give. 

That was the experience of nearly everyone who worked alongside her, and it is the part of her leadership that no governance framework can record. 

Hubtel benefits from leaders who build both systems and people. That was said of Mrs. Akyianu at her appointment last November, and she proved it in every sense. She strengthened how this company governs itself, and she did it in a way that left the people around her better prepared. 

The Board has lost its Chair. Hubtel has lost a great leader. Many of us have lost a cherished colleague and friend. 

The entire leadership of Hubtel extends our deepest condolences to her husband, Mr. Kwame Akyianu Esquire, to her children, family, and to everyone who was in one way or another connected to Mrs. Akyianu. We are truly grateful for the time she gave us and will uphold the legacy she set at Hubtel. 

Rest in perfect peace, Madam Chair. 

Hubtel welcomed representatives from Business & Financial Times (B&FT) on Thursday, 17 September 2026, for discussions on how both organisations can work together to support business growth, strengthen digital adoption, and create new opportunities for businesses and consumers. 

The B&FT delegation was led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Godwin Acquaye, and included Stephen Dotse, Business Development Manager, Charles Ekow Atkings, Event Manager, and Meimuna Diakite, Human Resources Manager. Hubtel was represented by Jonathan Ansah, Chief Finance Officer, Ernest Apenteng, General Manager, and Nana Owusu-Marfo, Head of Brand and User Experience. 

The meeting focused on opportunities for collaboration across media, business engagement, thought leadership, digital innovation, and other areas of mutual interest. 

Moving beyond visibility 

The conversation also focused on how a potential partnership could support Hubtel’s broader business objectives, particularly in reaching the right audiences, creating opportunities for engagement, and driving greater awareness and adoption of digital solutions. 

We shared that any potential collaboration should have clear objectives and measurable results. This could include reaching specific business audiences, supporting customer acquisition, encouraging digital adoption, or improving awareness of solutions that can help businesses operate more efficiently. 

READ ALSO: https://news.hubtel.com/hubtel-pk-amoabeng-foundation-youth-leadership-partnership/

The discussion also highlighted the importance of choosing platforms and opportunities based on the audiences they reach and the outcomes they can deliver. 

Connecting with the business community 

B&FT shared perspectives on its work across media, business events, industry engagement, and platforms that bring together business leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. 

The teams explored how these audiences could create opportunities for Hubtel to engage with businesses and professionals, particularly around technology, digital payments, and solutions that support business growth. 

There was also interest in creating more direct ways for businesses and customers to engage with digital solutions, while keeping the focus on practical value and meaningful business outcomes. 

READ ALSO: https://news.hubtel.com/hubtel-official-technology-partner-momo-fintech-lab/

Creating opportunities for digital adoption 

The conversation also touched on how technology can help businesses operate more easily and serve their customers better. 

We shared how our work has expanded from SMS and content services into digital payments and technology solutions that support businesses across different sectors. 

Both teams discussed opportunities to encourage greater adoption of digital solutions among businesses and to create more awareness around the tools available to help them grow and serve their customers. 

The discussions also considered how business-focused platforms and engagements could help introduce entrepreneurs and SMEs to relevant technology and payment solutions. 

Exploring opportunities for collaboration 

The meeting also covered opportunities for Hubtel to engage with B&FT’s wider media and business ecosystem, including its various platforms and industry-focused initiatives. 

Rather than focusing on a single channel or activity, the conversation looked at how both organisations could bring their respective strengths together to create useful opportunities for businesses, share practical insights, and contribute to conversations around technology and business growth. 

Potential areas of collaboration included business and industry conversations, thought leadership, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion. 

The teams also discussed opportunities across B&FT’s media and digital platforms that could support these conversations and provide space for Hubtel’s leadership and teams to share practical perspectives. 

The engagement forms part of ongoing discussions between Hubtel and B&FT, with both organisations exploring areas where their respective platforms, expertise, and audiences can create value for the wider business community. 

Hubtel settlement times are straightforward once you know what’s happening behind the scenes. Settlement is what happens the moment a customer pays a Hubtel merchant: the money moves into that merchant’s own Hubtel account.  

The customer is debited instantly, and you see that reflected on your dashboard right away. However, the movement of that payment to your Hubtel merchant account happens within the hour. Not a day or two, your money is made available to you every hour after taking payments.  

Once the money has settled into your Hubtel account, you have full control of it. Whether it’s moving it to your own bank account or Mobile Money wallet, paying suppliers or employees, or simply leaving it there until you need it.  

What Settlement Actually Means 

Settlement is simply the step where a customer’s payment becomes yours. That means the money received from your customers, credited to your Hubtel account. In the process of settlement, two different things happen at two different speeds: 

• The debit is instant: The moment a customer pays, whether by Mobile Money, card, or bank transfer, their payment is confirmed and you’ll see it reflected on your dashboard right away. 

• The settlement is hourly: Your Hubtel account balance is credited on an hourly basis. So even though the debit shows up straight away, the money isn’t actually in your balance yet, until that hourly settlement runs. 

To cite an instance, a customer buys GHS 200 of goods from your shop and pays you by Mobile Money. The moment they pay, a confirmation shows on your dashboard, that’s the debit, telling you the payment went through. By the next hour, that GHS 200 is credited to your Hubtel account balance, readily accessible to you. 

Hence, a debit notification is not the same as a balance credit. These two are easy to confuse, since they can look identical from the merchant’s side, but they’re different moments. Debit notification is instant while Settlement is hourly. 

Why Settling Fast Actually Matters 

Many payment platforms only give merchants one moment of “getting paid”: the batch settlement, usually done days after the sale. With Hubtel’s hourly settlement;  

• You know a sale went through the moment it happens, not days later. 

• Your money is usable almost immediately, rather than tied up until a distant batch date. 

• Reconciliation is simpler, because payments land in your account continuously rather than arriving in one delayed batch you have to match up later. 

• Settlement doesn’t stop for weekends or public holidays. It runs every hour, every day, so a sale on a Saturday or a public holiday settle the same way a weekday sale does. 

Ready to put this to work? Sign up as a Hubtel merchant at business.hubtel.com. It takes a few minutes and you’ll be set up to collect Mobile Money, card, bank payments and GHQR.   

A Quick Note on Two Other Terms You’ll See 

Your Hubtel account distinguishes different types of money movement, and it’s worth knowing them so nothing on your dashboard is confusing. 

• Payout is when you pay money out of your Hubtel account to someone else, a supplier or an employee, into their Mobile Money number or bank account. 

• Sweep is when you move money from your Hubtel account into your own bank account or Mobile Money wallet. 

Both are things you choose to do, on your own schedule, once settlement has already put the money in your Hubtel account. Neither holds up settlement, and they both move quickly. Recent data across 124,163 sweeps over a 46-day period showed money reaching the destination account in about 33 seconds on average, with 94% settling in under a minute. 

How Hubtel Settlement Times Compare to Other Ghana Payment Gateways 

It helps to see this next to what other payment gateways in Ghana do, specifically, how long it takes before your money is genuinely available to you. 

Major payment platforms push merchant funds to your bank account on a fixed next-business-day (T+1) basis, so your money isn’t fully available to you until that automatic transfer lands, up to a full business day after the sale. Hubtel settles into your account within an hour. This means your money is made available to you about 96% faster than a full 24-hour wait most payment gateways do.  

Start Getting Paid This Way 

Settlement doesn’t have to be a long wait, and on Hubtel it isn’t one. The moment a customer pays you, that money is already yours, sitting in your Hubtel account within the hour at the latest. 

That clarity is the point. You always know exactly where your money is and what stage it’s at, instead of guessing whether a payment has “gone through” somewhere out of sight.  

Because settlement puts the money in your hands fast, you’re in control of what happens next, whether that’s a payout, a sweep, or just letting it sit, rather than working around someone else’s schedule. 

That kind of control adds up to something bigger than convenience. It is room to grow. Money that’s usable within the hour is money you can put straight back into your business, restocking, paying staff, settling a supplier, on the same day it comes in, rather than a day or more later.  

If cash flow is something you think about daily rather than monthly, that’s the practical benefit worth remembering. You’re never waiting a full business day to find out if you got paid. 

If you run a business in Ghana and want your money working for you the moment a customer pays, sign up as a Hubtel merchant at business.hubtel.com. It takes a few minutes to get started, and you’ll be set up to collect Mobile Money, card, bank payments and GHQR. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How long does it take for a payment to settle on Hubtel? Settlement happens within the hour. The moment a customer pays, the debit is confirmed instantly and shows on your dashboard right away, but your Hubtel account balance itself is credited on the hour, every hour, so the money is fully settled and ready to use within an hour of the sale at most. 

Why does the payment show on my dashboard before my balance updates? What you’re seeing instantly is the debit, confirmation that the customer’s payment went through. That’s not the same moment as settlement. Your Hubtel account balance is credited separately, on the hour, every hour, so there can be up to an hour between seeing the payment notification and the money actually being in your usable balance. 

What’s the difference between settlement, payout, and sweep? Settlement is when a customer’s payment lands in your Hubtel account. Payout is when you send money from your Hubtel account to someone else, like a supplier or employee. Sweep is when you move money from your Hubtel account into your own bank account or Mobile Money wallet. Settlement happens first and fast; payout and sweep are things you choose to do afterwards, on your own schedule. 

Can I pay suppliers or staff directly from my Hubtel account? Yes, that’s called a payout. Once a payment has settled into your Hubtel account, you can pay it out directly to a supplier’s or employee’s Mobile Money number or bank account, without first sweeping it to your own account. 

Why does my money show as “settled” in Hubtel before it’s in my bank account? Because settlement and a sweep to your own bank are two different steps. Settlement, money landing in your Hubtel account, happens fast, by design. Sweeping that money on to your own bank account is a separate step you trigger afterwards. 

Does Hubtel settle payments on weekends or public holidays? Yes. Settlement happens on weekends and public holidays too, not just business days — this applies across all regions of Ghana, including times when banks are closed. A sale made over the weekend still settles into your Hubtel account within the hour, rather than waiting until Monday. 

Can I choose when my money moves to my bank or Mobile Money wallet? Yes. Once your money has settled, you can sweep it to your own bank account or Mobile Money wallet whenever you like using the Transfer Money button on your dashboard, or automate transfers on a schedule you set in the Money section of your Hubtel BackOffice. Bank transfers have a minimum of GHS 500, while Mobile Money transfers can be any amount.

On Thursday, 10 September 2026, Hubtel welcomed representatives from Nova Business School Africa (NBSA) for a conversation about digital entrepreneurship, business growth, and the opportunities technology can create for African businesses. 

The courtesy visit gave both teams a chance to learn about each other’s work, share experiences, and explore possible areas of collaboration. 

Leading the NBSA delegation was Prof. Mathew Tsamenyi, President and CEO, who was accompanied by Georgia Ansah, Programmes Manager, Mary Brown, Marketing Consultant, and Israel Agbeti, Head of Sales & Business Development.

The conversation was hosted by Hubtel’s General Manager, Ernest Apenteng, alongside Jonathan Ansah, Chief Finance Officer, Augustine Adjei, Head of Engineering and Bill Inkoom, Head of Mobile App Engineering.

At the centre of the engagement was The Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Programme (TADEP), delivered in partnership with the Alibaba Global Initiative (AGI) in China. 

Connecting education with real business experience 

The NBSA team shared its vision of building a business school for Africa, from Ghana, focused on developing leaders, supporting business growth, and creating impact through education, research, and advisory services. Digital transformation and innovation sit at the core of that work. 

The conversation also turned to the value of grounding teaching in real business experience. Rather than relying only on theories and examples that feel far removed from everyday business, the participants discussed the importance of practical, relatable case studies that show how businesses solve problems and grow. 

That drew the discussion to our own experience building digital payment solutions and services for businesses and customers. 

READ ALSO: Hubtel Leadership Visit Amazon’s Global HQ to Deepen Data, AI Collaboration

Making digital solutions work for businesses 

We shared our experience building payment solutions for businesses, banks, and retailers, and how those tools make everyday transactions easier and more accessible. 

The discussion also touched on the role of technology in helping businesses run with greater transparency and in widening access to services. 

For smaller businesses in particular, digital tools can create opportunities to reach more customers, manage transactions, and take part in the wider digital economy. 

Beyond payments, we discussed our work across other sectors, including transport and logistics. 

Inside the Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Programme 

A major part of the visit was NBSA’s presentation on TADEP. 

The programme is designed to help entrepreneurs and businesses learn how to use technology to grow. 

The NBSA team shared details of its work with Alibaba and how participants gain exposure to that wider business ecosystem. 

This includes learning about areas such as e-commerce, payments, logistics, and other digital services that support business growth. 

The programme also creates opportunities for participants to connect with entrepreneurs from other African countries, building relationships and learning from markets beyond their own. 

Businesses looking to expand can also request customised programmes built around their own needs and areas of interest. 

The presentation highlighted the value of connecting African businesses to knowledge, technology, and networks that can help them compete and grow in a changing digital economy. 

Learning from each other 

The NBSA team spoke about its entrepreneurship programmes in Ghana, including one run with MTN to support SME customers. 

The 13-week programme takes a practical, activity-based approach, with participants working on projects that show how they can apply technology and business knowledge to real situations. 

Participants include women, young people, and established business leaders. 

The discussion also explored the importance of helping businesses think beyond their immediate markets and consider opportunities across Africa. 

For us, these conversations were a chance to share lessons from building solutions for businesses and customers, while learning more about how entrepreneurship education can support business growth. 

Possible areas of collaboration 

As the visit progressed, the conversation moved to areas where the two organisations could work together. 

The teams discussed opportunities around staff capability, executive development, and access to relevant learning programmes. 

Both sides were also interested in how their networks and expertise could create more opportunities for businesses and professionals. 

NBSA agreed to send further information on its programmes and possible areas of collaboration. 

The teams also discussed an upcoming webinar on digital assets and artificial intelligence, to which our managers and staff were invited. 

A conversation with room to grow 

The courtesy visit was a reminder of the value of bringing together organisations with different experiences but shared interests. 

For us, it was an opportunity to engage with an institution focused on leadership and entrepreneurship development, while sharing some of the lessons from our work in digital services. 

For Nova Business School Africa, it was a chance to learn more about our work and explore how its programmes could connect with the needs of businesses and professionals. 

As both teams continue to explore areas of collaboration, the visit marked a useful starting point for conversations around learning, innovation, and the growth of African businesses. 

CEO of Hubtel, Alex Bram has donated a new police station to Dokrochiwa, the Eastern Region village where he grew up, built on the same land where his grandfather sold cocoa beans to help pay for his education.

The station, in the Ayensuano District, was commissioned on Thursday, September 3, at a ceremony attended by traditional leaders, senior police officers, local government officials and residents.

Despite the joy of the people of Dokrochiwa at the gesture, Alex Bram will not call it a donation.

“This police station is not a donation. It is a dividend,” he told the gathering.

The distinction rests on the ground under the building.

“Today is a huge day for all of us. It’s as big as when this village got it’s first school, first electricity connection, or first tarred road.” he said. “Where this police station is built today is also a special place because it was where many farmers gathered to sell their cocoa beans to make a living some decades ago.”

That farm is where his own story starts. His grandfather, Daniel Kwaku Bram, was among the cocoa farmers who worked the lands around Dokrochiwa, and the family’s registration with the Ghana Cocoa Board through the farm later opened the way for a cocoa scholarship. It carried Alex Bram through St. Augustine’s College, then to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and eventually into technology and entrepreneurship. The community, in his telling, invested first. The station is what it has earned.

READ ALSO: Hubtel Pledge Supports St. Augustine’s College, in APSU ‘99 Legacy Project 

He recalled a Dokrochiwa of limited infrastructure, where a school and a few churches were the notable landmarks. Electricity, a market, water and roads followed over the years, changing how residents lived and worked.

“And so, today is a great day,” he said. “It brings back that joy of having each of these critical infrastructures. It is also a befitting reminder of the hard work and sacrifices that our grandparents put in to get us here. We must let that same spirit guide us to strive to do more for our communities.”

“An investment in peace” 

Local leaders welcomed the facility. Josephine Awuley Ansaa Inkoom, former District Chief Executive for Ayensuano, called it a significant contribution to the town, pointing to the role security plays in protecting residents, maintaining order and supporting growth.

The current District Chief Executive, Joshua Yaw Frederick Lartey, said he had supported the accompanying police bungalow with 50 bags of cement, along with sand for the barracks. He described the project as “an investment in peace”, saying it represented hope, security and continued development for Dokrochiwa.

DCOP Charles Kofi Adu, the Regional Police Commander, commended the initiative and urged residents to work with the Ghana Police Service rather than take the law into their own hands. He also asked young people to take their education and personal development seriously, noting that the choices they make now shape what they are able to give back later. 

Ogyeahoho Barima Anom I, chief of Dokrochiwa and Benkumhene of Kyebi Apapam, thanked the family of D.K Bram, Mr. Moses Bram Adjei and his son Alex Bram for the project and said he hoped residents would live in harmony with the officers posted to the town.

“This is our own” 

Alex Bram asked residents to protect the facility and to support the officers who will work there.

“This is our own,” he said. 

For a town whose history is bound up with the cocoa farms that once shaped the area, the station is another marker in a long process of development. For Alex Bram, it is a return to the ground where his story began, and a chance to add something to the one Dokrochiwa is still writing.