How Abhi grew to 12 million users without a marketing budget

Pakistan's mobile payments industry is entering a new phase after Jazz expanded into three new cities, executives and investors told WritePures this week.

Employees will be offered training through a partnership with NUST, the company said, with a focus on cloud engineering, data analysis and product management.

Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the edtech business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2021.

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The regulatory angle

The service will initially be available in Peshawar, Karachi and Islamabad, with a nationwide launch planned for later in 2028.

"The talent is here. What has been missing is patient capital and predictable policy."

Fahad Iqbal, managing partner at Airlift

The move comes as regulators tighten oversight. the Pakistan Software Export Board issued new guidelines in April requiring companies to store customer data locally and to report security incidents within 72 hours.

Why it matters

The challenge now is execution. Previous attempts to build large-scale technology infrastructure in the country have stalled because of financing gaps and bureaucratic delays.

Key points

• Competitors including PostEx are expected to respond within months
• Rollout begins in Sialkot and Multan before expanding nationwide
• Partnership with Habib University to train local engineers
• Regulatory approval from the Pakistan Software Export Board still pending

Industry observers say the timing is significant. Pakistan's telecom sector grew 35% last year, according to Ignite National Technology Fund, even as venture funding across South Asia slowed sharply.

For consumers, the immediate impact is likely to be modest. Prices are expected to stay flat until at least March, and the new features will roll out gradually across the country.

Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.