Visa has spotlighted 18 promising fintech startups from 10 African countries during its Cohort 5 Demo Day, held at GITEX Africa. The milestone event underscores the accelerator’s growing impact, as the program surpasses 100 supported startups across the continent.
The Demo Day brought together founders, investors, and industry leaders to mark the culmination of an intensive three-month accelerator program. The latest cohort reflects the vibrancy of Africa’s fintech ecosystem, with participating startups operating in 28 markets and tackling a wide range of financial service and commerce challenges.
Since its launch, the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator has supported 104 startups across five cohorts. Collectively, these companies have achieved a valuation of approximately $1.4 billion, highlighting the program’s role in nurturing scalable innovation. Through mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to Visa’s global network, the accelerator equips founders with tools to expand operations, refine products, and unlock new growth opportunities.
Beyond acceleration, the initiative has increasingly focused on fostering partnerships between startups, corporate stakeholders, and ecosystem players, creating long-term pathways for collaboration and scale.
Several alumni partnerships illustrate this momentum. In Morocco, Zazu (Cohort 4) has partnered with Chari (Cohort 1) to roll out a small and medium enterprise-focused neobank, leveraging Chari’s locally developed issuance capabilities strengthened through Visa’s earlier support.
Elsewhere, Credable (Cohort 3), a fintech infrastructure provider active across East and Southern Africa, is working with Onafriq to develop digital credit solutions powered by Visa Flexible Credential. The collaboration aims to expand access to card-based credit services in emerging markets.
Kredete (Cohort 3), known for its stablecoin-linked card payments, continues to expand its footprint across Africa and beyond. Already operational in multiple countries, the company is targeting further growth into the Gulf region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, MoneyHash (Cohort 3) has signed a multi-year agreement to integrate Visa’s Cybersource technology into its platform, enhancing payment acceptance and enabling smoother commerce experiences across the Middle East and North Africa.
Speaking at the event, Godfrey Sullivan, Senior Vice President and Head of Product and Solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Visa, emphasized the importance of collaboration in driving the sector forward.
“What makes Africa’s fintech story so powerful is the growing spirit of partnership across founders, enablers, and industry leaders,” he said.
Sullivan also highlighted the accelerator’s milestone of surpassing 100 startups, noting that such partnerships are already delivering tangible results. “We are seeing firsthand how collaboration can help drive scale, expand financial access, and shape the future of digital commerce across the continent.”
As Africa’s fintech landscape continues to evolve, initiatives like Visa’s accelerator are playing a pivotal role in unlocking innovation and broadening access to digital financial services across the region.
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