Visa has graduated 22 startups from 12 African countries from its fourth Africa Fintech Accelerator in Cape Town, lifting the programme’s total to 86 fintechs valued at about $1.3 billion.
The 22 startups received mentorship and technical support across product development, marketing, finance and sales, alongside access to Visa’s global partner and investor network during the three-month accelerator programme.
“Africa’s fintech landscape continues to expand at extraordinary speed, powered by founders solving real-world challenges,” said Chad Pollock, vice president and general manager for East Africa at Visa. “The startups in Cohort 4 capture the energy driving Africa’s digital commerce transformation.”
Visa said the 2025 cohort benefited from deeper collaboration with strategic corporate partners including Bank of Africa, Onafriq and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, which contributed market expertise and operational support, opening avenues for potential commercial pilots, partnerships and investment.
Africa’s fintech sector remains the largest recipient of venture capital on the continent, driven by demand for digital payments, lending and financial inclusion tools. McKinsey estimates fintech revenues in Africa could reach $47 billion by 2028, up from about $10 billion in 2023, while the European Investment Bank estimates the number of active fintech companies nearly tripled between 2020 and early 2024.
Visa said it expects the accelerator programme to remain a key platform for identifying scalable fintech solutions and strengthening partnerships across Africa’s rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.