Mobile money terminal electronics for Ethiopia need small RF capacitors, and the Walsin Technology (Walsin) Microwave RF series covers all 49 steps of 0.1 pF from 0.2 to 5.0 pF at 0201, 0402 and 0603, but only 31 at 0805. Our shelf holds 13 of the steps at 0201 and 0402, 4 at 0603 and 2 at 0805.
Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, wrote this from the Walsin MLCC export (24,026 rows, 23,601 distinct part numbers) and our stock list as at 23 September 2026. It is for a design or sourcing engineer at an Ethiopian maker or assembler of mobile-money terminals, handsets or RF modules who is crossing a sub-5 pF matching capacitor. Every part number is real and every count is ours. The market statement names its source and the day we fetched it, 2 November 2026.
What did Capital Ethiopia report on Telebirr, and why does a component buyer care?
It reported scale in users and in the field. According to an opinion article in Capital Ethiopia on 27 September 2026, Telebirr had almost 59 million users as at early 2026 and over 300,000 merchants and agents, while Ethio Telecom reported over 87 million subscribers.
Those are the author’s figures, not ours. The conclusion we draw is ours: a base that size is served by terminals, handsets and repeaters, and every one of them carries small RF matching values whose tolerance steps are easy to misread. We have no relationship with Ethio Telecom, Telebirr or any Ethiopian maker, and we say nothing about what any of them buys.
Which Walsin RF capacitors cross a 1.0 pF, 0201, plus or minus 0.1 pF, 25 V brief, and what differs?
Twelve exist at 1.0 pF in 0201, and one is a clean match. We parsed the 763 Walsin Microwave RF series C0G parts at 0201 and found 12 part numbers at 1.0 pF, spread over tolerances of plus or minus 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 pF and voltages from 6.3 V to 50 V; exactly 1 matches a 0.1 pF, 25 V brief.
The reader’s incumbent goes in the last column.
| Walsin part | Description | On shelf 23 Sep 2026 | Match / mismatch with the brief | Your incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RF03N1R0B250 |
Microwave RF, 0201, C0G, 1.0 pF, plus or minus 0.1 pF, 25 V, 0.30 plus or minus 0.03 mm | No | Match on size, dielectric, value, tolerance and voltage | |
RF03N1R0B500 |
Microwave RF, 0201, C0G, 1.0 pF, plus or minus 0.1 pF, 50 V | No | Match on the electrical fields; mismatch: voltage is 50 V | |
RF03N1R0C250 |
Microwave RF, 0201, C0G, 1.0 pF, plus or minus 0.25 pF, 25 V | No | Mismatch: tolerance is plus or minus 0.25 pF, wider | |
RF03N1R0A250 |
Microwave RF, 0201, C0G, 1.0 pF, plus or minus 0.05 pF, 25 V | No | Mismatch: tolerance is plus or minus 0.05 pF, tighter | |
RF15N1R0B500 |
Microwave RF, 0402, C0G, 1.0 pF, plus or minus 0.1 pF, 50 V, 0.50 plus or minus 0.05 mm | Yes | Match on the electrical fields; mismatch in case size and voltage; the nearest shelf part |
A match in the table is a match on the export fields, no more. Confirm against both datasheets and qualify in your own circuit. Our post on high Q, low ESR MLCC for RF explains where this series sits, and how to cross-reference an MLCC shows the field-by-field method.
How complete is the 0.1 pF ladder at each case size?
Complete at three sizes and ragged at the fourth. We counted the 49 steps of 0.1 pF from 0.2 to 5.0 pF in the C0G RF export: all 49 are present at 0201, 0402 and 0603, 31 at 0805; 18 steps are missing at 0805, including 1.4, 1.7, 1.9, 2.1, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.7 and 3.8 pF.
A board moved from 0402 to 0805 for a power or hand-assembly reason may find its value is absent. We have not seen this counted anywhere. Paste the value into the cross-reference tool and read the size field before you commit a footprint.
What does the Hong Kong shelf hold in these RF steps?
Thirteen steps at the two smallest sizes. Of the 49 steps, our stock list as at 23 September 2026 covers 13 at 0201, 13 at 0402, 4 at 0603 and 2 at 0805, across 15, 18, 6 and 2 part numbers in that range.
Those counts are rows on the shelf, so one step can hold several tolerances or voltages. The ready stock list is a dated snapshot, never live-synced, and the MLCC range lists the families. If your value is not stocked, ask for a to-order enquiry through the site.
What will we not tell you about mobile-money terminals?
Anything about your RF design, your type approval or your payment scheme. Of the 28 Walsin datasheets we hold, 26 cover MLCC series and 1 covers the Microwave RF series, but none names a payment or mobile-money product, so every count here is catalogue coverage, not suitability.
We make no claim that any part suits a terminal, a handset or any band, or that a catalogue step is in tune for your circuit. We hold no ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certificate. We hold no office, entity or stock in Ethiopia; our locations are Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore and Jiangmen, with Chengdu in preparation. We give no legal, customs or conformity advice; confirm with your compliance team. Qualification stays with you.
Why do buyers in Ethiopia choose Venatech?
Because we show the ladder, gaps included. Venatech Limited is an authorised Walsin Technology distributor in Hong Kong, and the Walsin Microwave RF series alone is 3,615 part numbers, 763 of them at 0201 with every 0.1 pF step from 0.2 to 5.0 pF.
An Ethiopian buyer gets a Hong Kong team that welcomes small lots, answers cross-reference questions field by field, and tells you which of the 12 variants at a value is the one that matches. Our VenaMatch tool decodes 18 manufacturers’ part numbers and covers 800,000+ crossable parts, and every candidate comes back with each field marked match or mismatch. Showing the tolerance difference is the service, and we are glad to do it.
How can Venatech help an Ethiopian terminal maker?
How Venatech helps starts with a free paste box. The cross-reference tool accepts up to 500 part numbers or an Excel or CSV file and shows Walsin candidates with each field marked match or mismatch. Load a whole BOM for a check. The ready-stock list is a Hong Kong snapshot dated 23 September 2026.
Worked example from our own export: the 1.0 pF, 0201, plus or minus 0.1 pF, 25 V brief returned 1 exact part among 12 variants at the value, none stocked, and the nearest shelf part is a 0402. Walsin is the only line we are authorised for; Stackpole and Viking are lines we supply. We serve from Hong Kong in small lots, we help cross-reference, and you request a quote through the site. We hold 28 Walsin datasheets, 451 pages, and send them on request.
The short version
For an Ethiopian mobile-money terminal maker, a sub-5 pF RF capacitor is a variant question: 12 part numbers at 1.0 pF in 0201, 49 of 49 steps at the three smallest sizes, 31 at 0805, and a shelf that holds 13 steps at 0201 and 0402. Name the tolerance and voltage, not just the value.
Send us one RF capacitor line from your BOM, with the tolerance, voltage and size you can accept, and we will return the Walsin parts with every difference stated. If your incumbent prints only 1.0 pF, do you know which of the 12 variants you are buying?
Sources
Fetched 2 November 2026.
- Capital Ethiopia, opinion article on mobile phones and Ethiopia’s financial story, 27 September 2026: https://capitalethiopia.com/2026/09/27/banking-the-unbanked-how-mobile-phones-are-rewriting-ethiopias-financial-story/
Frequently asked questions
What did Capital Ethiopia report about Telebirr in September 2026?
An opinion article on 27 September 2026 said Telebirr had almost 59 million users as at early 2026 and over 300,000 merchants and agents, and that Ethio Telecom had over 87 million subscribers. These are the author’s figures, not ours.
How many Walsin RF capacitors at 0201 are 1.0 pF?
12 distinct part numbers, differing in tolerance (plus or minus 0.05, 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 pF) and voltage (6.3 V to 50 V). Only RF03N1R0B250 matches a plus or minus 0.1 pF, 25 V brief on every export field.
Does the Walsin RF series cover every 0.1 pF step between 0.2 and 5.0 pF?
At 0201, 0402 and 0603, yes: all 49 steps. At 0805, 31 of 49 are present and 18 are missing. Confirm each against its datasheet before design-in.
Which Walsin RF capacitor steps are on the Hong Kong shelf?
As at 23 September 2026, 13 steps at 0201, 13 at 0402, 4 at 0603 and 2 at 0805, across 15, 18, 6 and 2 part numbers in that range. The snapshot is dated, not live, so ask us through the site.
Is a 0402 RF part a drop-in for the 0201 part?
No. The case size differs, so the footprint and the 0.50 plus or minus 0.05 mm thickness differ too. RF15N1R0B500 matches the electrical fields only and is on our shelf. Qualify in your own circuit.
Do you hold stock or an office in Ethiopia?
No. We hold no office, entity or stock in Ethiopia; our locations are Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore and Jiangmen. We hold no ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certificate and give no legal, customs or conformity advice. Confirm with your compliance team.