Visa brought together founders, investors, corporate partners and industry leaders in Cape Town on 1 December for the fourth cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Demo Day. The showcase marked the end of a three-month program that supported 22 high-growth fintech startups working to scale digital commerce solutions across the continent.
The startups represent 12 markets and operate across 31 countries. Women-led innovation featured strongly, with eight female founders in the group and most of the participating companies having women in leadership roles.
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With this latest group, Visa has now supported 86 African fintech startups that together hold a combined valuation of 1.3 billion dollars. Many alumni continue to grow into new markets, attract further investment and deepen commercial ties with Visa.
Startups in the accelerator receive hands-on guidance across product design, marketing, finance and sales. They also benefit from one-to-one mentorship from experienced founders and specialists in the financial services industry.
This year’s program strengthened collaboration with three corporate partners: Bank of Africa, Onafriq and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. Each partner contributed industry expertise, market insights and access to their operational networks. The expanded community is helping to create more pathways for collaboration and accelerated growth across the continent’s financial ecosystem.
Fintech remains the most active engine within Africa’s venture ecosystem. McKinsey projects that Africa’s fintech revenues could reach 47 billion dollars by 2028. This will be a sharp rise from the estimated 10 billion dollars in 2023. The European Investment Bank reports that the number of active fintech companies in Africa nearly tripled between 2020 and early 2024 from 450 to 1,263 firms.
Chad Pollock, Visa Vice President and General Manager for East Africa, said the startups in Cohort 4 capture the energy reshaping the continent’s digital commerce landscape. He added that Visa is proud to support founders who are solving real challenges and unlocking new possibilities as they expand into more markets.
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