Why These 22 Fintech Startups Made It Into Visa’s $1B Africa Push

Visa continues to lead the charge in Africa’s fintech growth, announcing the 22 startups chosen for its fourth Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator cohort .

This programme gives early-stage fintechs the mentorship and resources they need to tackle the continent’s financial inclusion challenges.

Spanning 12 countries and operating across 31 markets, this cohort is expected to redefine financial inclusion, digitise payments, and drive sustainable growth across the continent.

Why Visa’s Fintech Accelerator Is a Game-Changer

Aligned with Visa’s $1 billion investment pledge in Africa by 2027, the programme has already supported 64 startups across three cohorts, with a portfolio value of $1.1 billion and over $55 million in follow-on funding.

Cohort 4 stands out with 62% of startups featuring women in leadership roles, emphasising diversity and inclusion in Africa’s fintech landscape.

Focus Areas and Geographic Reach

Cohort 4 showcases a diverse range of startups tackling critical financial challenges across multiple sectors, including:

SMB Digitisation: Streamlining operations for small and medium businesses.
Cross-Border Payments: Simplifying international transactions.
Lending and Credit Access: Providing affordable financing for underserved markets.
Payroll and B2B Transactions: Enhancing efficiency for businesses.
AI-Driven Commerce and Social Commerce: Leveraging AI and social platforms for innovative trade.
Climate Insurance and Neo-Banking: Addressing sustainability and modern banking needs.

Meet the 22 Startups in Cohort 4

Here’s a closer look at the innovative startups driving change in Cohort 4:

BigDot.ai (Zimbabwe)
Helps SMEs reduce cash dependency through digital transformation, seamless checkouts, and blockchain-powered financial inclusion.
Impact: Empowers merchants to embrace digital payments, enhancing scalability.
ChatCash (Zimbabwe)
Enables SMEs to sell and receive payments via messaging apps using AI-powered, multilingual tools integrating payments and customer engagement.
Impact: Makes commerce accessible for businesses with limited tech infrastructure.
Credify Africa (Uganda)
Bridges the trade finance gap for importers by providing seamless access to capital, logistics, and cross-border payments.
Impact: Boosts regional trade by simplifying international transactions.
Flend (Egypt)
A digital non-banking financial institution (NBFI) offering tech-enabled, data-driven financing solutions for underserved SMEs.
Impact: Closes the financing gap for North African businesses.
Hsabati (Morocco)
Helps businesses manage operations with data collection and ecosystem scoring to facilitate financing through partner banks.
Impact: Enhances business efficiency and access to capital.
IPT Africa (Mauritius)
Provides cross-border payment solutions, including payroll processing, real-time FX pricing, and same-day bulk payments.
Impact: Streamlines international financial operations for businesses.
Lemonade Payments (Kenya)
Offers white-label digital payment solutions with secure, blockchain-powered wallets that prioritise user data privacy.
Impact: Empowers businesses with secure payment infrastructure.
Maishapay (Democratic Republic of Congo)
An all-in-one B2B financial platform offering payroll, digital payments, and POS terminals.
Impact: Simplifies transactions for businesses in underserved markets.
MNZL (Egypt)
Expands credit access through a digital platform for asset-backed financing, leveraging home and car equity.
Impact: Unlocks financing for consumers and businesses.
Motito (Ghana)
An asset financing marketplace offering alternative payment options for essential assets.
Impact: Makes asset acquisition affordable for underserved communities.
Muda (Kenya)
A digital asset exchange and OTC platform focused on cross-border payments and stablecoin liquidity.
Impact: Enhances liquidity for African businesses and fintechs.
mystocks.africa (Botswana)
Simplifies investing by providing a unified platform for trading African stocks.
Impact: Democratises access to stock market investments.
OKO Finance Ltd (Ivory Coast)
Distributes automated climate insurance to boost farmers’ resilience and de-risk agricultural investments for banks.
Impact: Protects farmers and stabilises food security amid climate challenges.
PressPayNg (Nigeria)
An education-focused fintech offering banking, financing, savings, and insurance to fund education.
Impact: Makes education financing accessible for parents and students.
Sevi (Kenya)
Streamlines B2B payments in non-digital value chains, optimising credit, payments, and reconciliation.
Impact: Enhances efficiency for suppliers and small retailers.
Shiga Digital Inc. (Nigeria)
Provides simplified access to decentralised financial solutions via a purpose-built DeFi account.
Impact: Expands access to innovative financial tools.
ShopOkoa (Kenya)
Offers AI-driven credit and payment solutions for small and micro-enterprises, combining daily savings and revenue-based financing.
Impact: Supports financial inclusion for underserved businesses.
Startbutton (Nigeria)
A merchant of record helping businesses expand across Africa by handling local currency payments in a tax-efficient manner.
Impact: Simplifies cross-border expansion without local offices.
Twiva (Kenya)
A social commerce platform enabling businesses to market and resell products via social media influencers.
Impact: Leverages social media for scalable commerce.
Vittas (Nigeria)
Empowers healthcare providers with tailored financing, digital tools, and payment solutions.
Impact: Improves patient care through better financial access.
Woliz (Morocco)
Transforms nano-stores into digital hubs with loyalty rewards, payments, and AI-driven operations.
Impact: Modernises small retail operations.
Zazu (South Africa)
A neobank offering digital business accounts, expense management, invoicing, and bookkeeping tools for SMEs.
Impact: Simplifies financial management for small businesses.

Driving Financial Inclusion Across Africa

Cohort 4 addresses critical barriers to financial inclusion:

Empowering SMEs: BigDot.ai, ChatCash, and Zazu digitise small business operations, reducing cash reliance and improving market access.
Expanding Credit Access: Flend, MNZL, and ShopOkoa provide data-driven financing for underserved businesses and individuals.
Simplifying Cross-Border Transactions: Credify Africa, IPT Africa, and Muda streamline international payments, fostering regional trade.
Supporting Key Sectors: PressPayNg and OKO Finance tackle education and agriculture, driving broader economic impact.

These solutions align with Visa’s mission to create a more inclusive digital economy.

What’s Next for Cohort 4?

The 12-week virtual programme provides tailored mentorship, training, and funding opportunities, concluding in an in-person Demo Day where startups pitch to investors and industry leaders.

With applications for Cohort 5 open until August 15, 2025, Visa continues to nurture Africa’s fintech ecosystem. Previous cohorts have generated over $3 million in revenue during the programme and secured significant follow-on funding, setting a strong precedent for Cohort 4.

Are you a fintech founder ready to transform Africa’s financial landscape? Apply for Cohort 5 by August 15, 2025, at Visa’s Accelerator Program page.

Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, climate change, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.