Visa’s Africa Fintech Accelerator has brought together 18 startups from 28 African markets in its fifth cohort, marking another step in strengthening the continent’s financial ecosystem. With new participants from Burkina Faso and Djibouti, the programme shows how fintech innovation in Africa is spreading beyond a few well known hubs into new markets that are eager for growth, inclusion and better financial tools.
This new cohort is not just about technology. It is about solving real business and consumer problems. The startups focus on faster and safer payments, cross-border money movement, fraud prevention, data driven lending, digital work platforms and services that help people and businesses participate more fully in the economy. By supporting these companies, Visa is helping to build stronger financial rails that can move money across borders, lower costs and create opportunities for millions of Africans.
The cohort also reflects where the African fintech market is heading. Many of the startups are working on cross-border payments, often supported by stablecoin infrastructure, to address long standing challenges around speed, cost and access. Others are using artificial intelligence to improve fraud detection, identity management, credit scoring and data analysis. Together, these solutions respond to the needs of a fast growing digital economy that demands trust, scale and efficiency.
Building the foundations for inclusive growth
Among the cohort is EvMak, a Tanzanian fintech with more than a decade of experience in simplifying transactions and supporting financial inclusion for businesses of all sizes. Nigeria’s Feedxpay focuses on making cross-border payments easier and more accessible, while Kenya based Inflow offers fast, affordable and secure payment solutions designed around customer needs.
From Burkina Faso, Maraboo brings secure and cost effective international transactions to a market often overlooked in global fintech conversations. Meras, based in Djibouti, uses open banking APIs to connect banks across the Horn of Africa, helping businesses and individuals send and receive money locally and across borders with less friction. Kenya’s Niobi provides API-first payment and banking infrastructure across more than 16 African countries, addressing the fragmented nature of the continent’s payment systems.
Ugandan startup Opareta is digitising agent networks by giving mobile money agents tools to manage operations, access data insights and secure working capital. In South Africa, Orca is tackling fraud with an AI driven platform that helps financial institutions detect and prevent malicious activity across both traditional and decentralised systems.
Nigeria’s Periculum uses data and AI to help businesses gain insights, improve workflows and stay competitive, while Rafiki, founded by a South African team in the UK, supports the future of work through tools that enable modular teams, project management and fast domestic and cross-border payments using both fiat and stablecoins.
Innovation across payments, data, health and agriculture
The cohort also includes startups expanding financial access into new sectors. Morocco’s Sahl Financial connects financial institutions with underserved communities by providing secure data access and alternative credit insights that improve lending decisions. Ghanaian fintech Solis focuses on building practical financial products for everyday users, while Susu from Côte d’Ivoire combines fintech and health by offering digital tools for managing health insurance and beneficiary care.
Nigeria’s Termii supports global communication by providing multichannel messaging infrastructure, from SMS to AI driven engagement. Morocco based ToumAI works at the intersection of AI and language, building solutions that understand African dialects and support inclusive communication. In agriculture, Nigeria’s Winich Farms connects farmers directly to bulk buyers, cutting out middlemen and improving incomes and food supply efficiency.
Also from Nigeria, Zeeh is building open banking, credit and buy now pay later infrastructure to make financial services more accessible, while Zynta, a licensed virtual asset services provider, operates across multiple jurisdictions in compliance with local regulations.
Through the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator, these 18 startups gain access to expertise, mentorship, technology and networks that can help them scale. The three month intensive programme is designed to support business growth and investment readiness, while connecting founders to partners who can help them expand into new markets.
Launched in 2023, the accelerator aligns with Visa’s commitment to invest 1 billion dollars in Africa by 2027. By backing startups that improve money movement, empower businesses and promote financial inclusion, Visa is playing a long term role in shaping Africa’s digital economy. For this fifth cohort, the impact is clear. Stronger fintechs mean better services, more jobs, safer transactions and an African financial system that works for more people across more markets.
