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By Peter West and Mayibongwe Sangweni, Financial Institutions Group Client Coverage at Standard Bank Africa’s insurance sector remains largely underpenetrated, with most markets (apart from South Africa) reporting penetration levels below 3%, compared to a global average of upwards of 7%. Insurance penetration is closely tied to macroeconomic realities and given Africa’s low GDP levels, […]
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Africa’s digital payment landscape is set for fresh insights as the AfricaNenda Foundation, in partnership with the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE), the World Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), prepares to unveil the State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) 2025 Report on November 13, 2025, in Ezulwini, Kingdom of […]
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Mastercard held its inaugural Africa Edge summit, convening leaders from across Africa’s payments ecosystem to explore how collaboration and innovation can accelerate the continent’s digital growth. The forum focused on building the infrastructure, trust, and interoperability needed to support Africa’s fast-growing digital economy, projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030, and create new opportunities for […]
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By: Gregoire Danel Fedou Across Africa, women-led businesses face well-documented barriers that hinder their growth and access to finance. Many women cannot use land, property, or significant assets as collateral because they do not own them. Instead, they often rely on informal financial services, such as savings groups. Distrust of banks, sometimes stemming from past […]
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By Hennie de Villiers Africa’s population is projected to exceed 1.7 billion by 2030, one of the youngest and mobile-first populations on the planet, making the continent fertile ground for the reimagining of financial services. But Africa also sits at a crossroads: an accelerating trajectory of digital innovation challenged by deep digital divides, including access and infrastructure, […]
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Partnership combines Mastercard’s global payments network with Smile ID’s capabilities to combat fraud and expand financial inclusion across Africa. From left to right: Selin Bahadirli, executive vice president, services, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard, Mark Straub, CEO Smile ID, Dennis Gamiello executive vice president, and global head of identity at Mastercard Nairobi, […]
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Onafriq, Africa’s largest digital payments network, today announced a strategic partnership with Visa to launch Visa Pay, a cloud-native Payments-as-a-Service platform designed to expand digital financial access across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Through this partnership, consumers in the DRC will be able to conveniently fund their Visa Pay wallets directly from mobile money […]
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Across much of Africa, women continue to face significant barriers in accessing the rights, opportunities, and markets available to men. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the gender gap in sub-Saharan Africa remains at 32% across four critical dimensions: political participation, economic opportunity, education, and health. At the current pace of progress, the IFC […]
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New BCG and QED report reveals the fintech industry’s strongest fundamentals to date—poised for its next wave of disruption through breakthrough technologies, disciplined growth, and new market penetration Global fintech is entering a new era of maturity and momentum. According to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and QED Investors, Fintech’s Next Chapter: Scaled Winners and Emerging […]
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The report also highlights the expanding utility of stablecoins in emerging markets, extending beyond international payments and settlements, with platforms such as Visa and Mastercard enabling stablecoin transactions. Kenya is among the African countries experiencing notable growth in stablecoin adoption. Yellow Card, Africa’s leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, has released its latest report on digital asset […]
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