Smartcomply is taking its Africa-focused compliance technology to the United Kingdom, targeting the growing compliance burden on institutions processing transactions between the UK and Africa.
The cybersecurity and compliance firm, trusted by more than 100 financial institutions across the continent, has launched operations in the UK alongside Adhere, its AI-powered platform for AML, KYC, and fraud detection.
The company’s entry into the UK comes as UK remittance firms, fintechs, neobanks, and electronic money institutions face stricter regulations and rising compliance costs tied to Africa-related payment corridors.
Smartcomply noted that correspondent banking ties in Sub-Saharan Africa have dropped by more than a quarter over the past decade, contributing to weaker financial connectivity. Meanwhile, remittances from the UK to Sub-Saharan Africa exceed £4 billion annually, with transfer fees averaging 8.5%.
The Adhere platform combines real-time transaction monitoring, automated KYC and KYB onboarding, sanctions and PEP screening, corridor intelligence, and audit-ready compliance reporting tailored to African markets.
“African payment corridors should be viewed as growth opportunities, not liabilities,” said Smartcomply CEO Gbemisola Osunrinde, adding that the UK expansion gives institutions direct access to compliance infrastructure built specifically for African transaction realities.
According to Smartcomply, Adhere currently oversees more than $1 billion in monthly transactions and has enabled customers to cut manual compliance workloads by 70% while reducing false fraud alerts by 40%.
“We built Adhere because we lived the problem. Compliance technology designed in New York or London cannot read Nigerian Bank Verification Numbers, cannot understand mobile money flows in Kenya, and cannot make sense of West African mule networks. The companies that get to participate in African growth are the ones with infrastructure built for African reality. We are bringing that infrastructure to London.” Noted Anita Ajalla, Chief Technology Officer, Smartcomply.
Additionally, Smartcomply’s entry into the UK reflects the growing need for compliance solutions that understand the realities of African markets. As financial institutions continue to face higher regulatory demands and rising transaction costs, the company believes its technology can help make cross-border payments between the UK and Africa more secure, efficient, and accessible.
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