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Tag: Africa Fintech Summit

  • Ghana to host 2025 Africa Fintech Summit

    Ghana to host 2025 Africa Fintech Summit

    The organisers of the Africa Fintech Summit announced on Tuesday that the 14th Africa Fintech Summit will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) in Accra, Ghana, from October 8–10.

    The Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) is Africa’s premier forum for fintech executives, regulators, investors, and innovators.

    Impactful summits have been held by AFTS in Washington, DC, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Lusaka since 2017.

    By interacting with regulators, drawing in investors, and assisting businesses, AFTS promotes financial inclusion and sustainable economic growth.

    Every April in Washington, DC, and every November in a location in Africa, there are annual flagship events that attract over $300 million USD in venture capital and promote the growth of fintech.

    Read also: Ghana to introduce digital currency, e-Cedi

    Previous Africa Fintech Summits 

    AWS’ Fintech Startup Loft Accelerator, USAID’s Tech for Trade Alliance, Zambia’s first smartphone factory, and more than 1,200 delegates from 65 nations were welcomed by AFTS in 2023. Sixteen Lusaka startups participated in the Alpha Expo Pitch Competition.

    More than 1,500 delegates and 1,800 virtual attendees from more than 50 countries attended AFTS Nairobi in 2024, which included 15 panels and the AlphaExpo Pitch Competition with 18 startups. During the WB/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, there was a pitch competition and networking at Halcyon House.

    The next AFTS, which will take place in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2025, will keep advancing fintech innovation and building international alliances.

    The 14th Africa Fintech Summit, which will be held in the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana, on October 8, 2025, will mark its return to Africa.

    Building its previous achievements, this edition will bring together key players to influence the direction of fintech on the continent.

    Why the choice of Ghana 

    The choice of Ghana is due to its burgeoning tech hub in Africa with a thriving fintech industry.

    According to Partech, Ghana received $102 million in equity capital in 2024, a 36% percent increase from the previous year.

    It was one of just three nations to raise more than $50 million in equity capital last year, and it was the seventh most-funded African startup environment. Additionally, it has Africa’s sixth-highest number of equity capital deals (17). Investors have long shown a strong interest in Ghana.

    To put things in perspective, Ghana has raised over $50 million annually since 2019 and has even raised over $100 million in four of the previous six years.

    The fintech sector, which is at the forefront of this flourishing tech environment, is significantly advancing financial inclusion and economic growth.

    Read also: Moniepoint and Afrigopay to fast-track payments with distribution of 5 million AfriGO cards

    Fintech transactions increased by 33.4% in Q1 2024 to reach GH¢576.03 billion, according to data from the Bank of Ghana.

    Behind this expansion are a number of successful businesses that are advancing everything from lending to payments, including Fido, Oze, SecondSTAX, Affinity Africa, and Zeepay Company Limited.

    Telcos are also major players with 73 million registered mobile money accounts as of the end of 2024. Companies like MTN (MoMo from MTN), Vodafone (Vodafone Cash), and AT Ghana (ATMoney) offer mobile money services that have achieved broad adoption.

    Ghana’s fintech ecosystem is flourishing in a number of ways.

    “We look forward to examining, spotlighting and contributing to its growth by connecting local and global fintech stakeholders while charting the future of Africa’s fintech industry,” stated the organisers.

  • 11th Africa Fintech Summit kicks off in Kenya

    11th Africa Fintech Summit kicks off in Kenya

    The 11th Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) kicks off at the GTC JW Marriott in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4 to September 6, 2024.

    The Africa Fintech Summit is the most significant Pan-African endeavour that brings together investors, regulators, innovators, and senior decision-makers in Africa’s fintech sector to shape the future of this quickly expanding industry. AFTS was established in 2017 and has held summits in Lusaka, Washington DC, Lagos, Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Cape Town.

    The Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) is a global forum where fintech players come together to establish alliances, attract capital, present innovations, work together to address and resolve industry problems, spot trends, and influence policy in the direction of a prosperous African fintech ecosystem centred around teamwork.

    Read also: Rwanda to hosts Africa’s largest ArtificiaI Intelligence (AI) summit

    This year’s Summit aimed to bring together the challenges, developments, and innovators influencing the continent’s financial technology sector.
    After hosting its inaugural summit in early 2018, AFTS has grown to become the largest biannual gathering of financial technology stakeholders on the African continent, drawing in over 4,000 participants from over 100 nations.

    Highlights of what to expect at the Africa Fintech Summit

    The event is expected to have an exciting program of speakers and possibilities.
    Highlights include the largest African fintech exhibition of the year featuring influential startups and unicorns, an exclusive VIP dinner before the summit, and thought-provoking panel discussions led by prominent industry figures.

    Additional highlights of the summit include expert keynote talks, fireside chats with well-known business owners and investors, a USAID-sponsored AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator pitch competition, partner workshops for increased participation, optional tours of the Nairobi ecosystem, and daily happy hours for informal networking.

    Dinner with VIPs

    AFTSNairobi formally starts with a special dinner for VIP attendees, speakers, sponsors, regulators, and partners the evening before AFTS opens.

    Thought-provoking panel engagement

    Panel discussions will bring together innovators, investors, regulators, and enablers to discuss essential topics affecting Africa and the diaspora and gain industry knowledge from the change agents.

    Networking with leading industry stakeholders

    Since AFTS is a community organisation, networking opportunities are abundant at each summit. After all, the main goal of attending a conference is always to make new friends and reconnect with existing ones.

    Fintech exhibition

    This year’s AFTSNairobi exhibition is an excellent opportunity for delegates and entrepreneurs to network, generate leads, and establish connections. It showcases unicorns and companies bringing innovation, impact, and inclusivity to the African continent.

    Keynote speeches by experts and fireside chats

    A regulator actively involved in the African fintech industry will give a keynote address to officially launch AFTSLusaka. During fireside chats, prominent investors and entrepreneurs from the continental ecosystem will participate.

    Read also: NIMC, Galaxy Backbone to head discussions at Nigeria eGovernment Summit 2024

    AlphaExpo Pitch Competition for Micro-Accelerators

    With the help of the AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator, ten to fifteen early-stage entrepreneurs may maximise their time at the summit and depart AFTS with the meaningful connections, dialogues, and information needed to advance. Its USAID-sponsored Pitch Competition, to be held at AFTSNairobi, will bring the program to a close.

    Workshops with Partners

    The partner workshops would go more profound than the panel discussions. AFTSNairobi will provide multiple partner workshops that give attendees a more direct, one-on-one learning experience.

    Ecosystem Tours in Nairobi

    On the last day of the summit, participants can tour Nairobi with the AFTS team and visit stakeholder offices. This year, the Investing in Nairobi Ecosystem Tour and the Expanding to Nairobi Ecosystem Tour will be held.

    Happy Hour Following the Event

    Every day after the summit, stay for the Happy Hour to unwind and socialise while sipping a glass of wine or a pint of beer. The happy hour is free for all summit delegates and will include live music.

  • Stakeholders to attend Africa Fintech Summit in Zambia

    Stakeholders to attend Africa Fintech Summit in Zambia

    Over 200 organisations are gearing up to participate in the Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS), scheduled to be held at the serene Ciela Resort and Spa in Lusaka, Zambia.

    The AFTS 10th edition will host fintech stakeholders from not only across Africa but also beyond the continent’s shores from November 2-3, 2023. It is known for catalyzing meaningful conversations, forging partnerships, and fostering ecosystem-enabling engagements.

    Read also: Visa opens applications for its Africa Fintech Accelerator Program

    Empowering Africa’s Fintech Ecosystem

    The Africa Fintech Summit has evolved into a pivotal platform where innovators, entrepreneurs, regulators, investors, and other influential players converge to chart the course for Africa’s dynamic fintech landscape. Against the backdrop of the continent’s fintech sector experiencing exponential growth and transformation, this year’s summit carries the ambition to accelerate innovation, foster strategic partnerships, and address critical challenges confronting the industry.

    AFTSLusaka2023 is set to feature representation from a diverse array of esteemed organisations spanning both the public and private sectors. Attendees will include innovative fintech startups, disruptive tech companies, well-established financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and investment firms. Among the notable organisations registered and/or speaking at AFTSLusaka2023 are:

    Regulators, Government & NGOs

    Leading the charge from the public sector, the Office of the President of the Republic of Zambia and the Ministry of Technology & Science, Zambia, will be joined by prominent entities like the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya, Prosper Africa, Africa Trade Initiative, the U.S. Department of State, USAID, World Bank, UNCDF, Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa, Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, Norfund, and others.

    Investors (including Accelerators, Incubators & Venture Labs)

    Investment and support for fintech innovation will be provided by entities such as Flourish Ventures, Apis Partners, Norrsken, Founders Factory Africa, Startupbootcamp AfriTech, Launch Africa, Chanzo Capital, and others.

    Fintech Companies

    Leading fintech players, including Mastercard, Flutterwave, Pan-African Payments Settlement System (PAPSS), JUMO, Paystack, Yellow Card, Turaco, Multigate, PremierCredit, IDT Corporation/Boss Money, Fonbnk, Pastel, Power Financial, PrimeNet, OurPass, Minka, Chipper Cash, Tilt, PayGo Zambia, Klasha, ZeePay, dLocal, EBANX, Peach Payments, and others, will share their insights and expertise.

    Diverse tech firms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Thales Group, Integrated Biometrics, and others, will offer their perspectives on the fintech landscape.

    Banks & Telecommunications Companies

    Prominent names from the banking and telecommunications sectors will be represented by institutions such as Afreximbank, Ecobank, Absa Bank, Citi Bank, I&M Bank, Diamond Trust Bank, First City Monument Bank, Standard Chartered, Zanaco, MTN, and others.

    Media Companies

    Media outlets, including TechCabal, Technext, The Kenyan Wall Street, African Media Agency, TechTrends Zambia, Africa.com, Financial Insight, Get Funded Africa, TanTV Studios, Bitcoin Kenya, and others, will contribute to the summit’s discussions.

    Ecosystem Associations & Players

    Key ecosystem entities like the Payments Association of Zambia, Bankers Association of Zambia, BongoHive, Corporate Council on Africa, Kenya Bankers Association, Fintech Association of South Africa, Mauritius Finance, Congo Business Network, Africa Tech Festival (Informa), and others, will play a pivotal role in shaping the discussions.

    AfDB signs $525,000 deal with Africa Fintech Network

    Industry Research & Consultants

    Meanwhile, leading research and consulting firms, including Wall Street Africa, Briter Bridges, Asoko Insight, Dedalus Global, Ibex Frontier, Deloitte, KRL International, Mansa Advisory, Invictus Solutions, Flawless Events, and others, will provide valuable insights.

    As the countdown to AFTSLusaka2023 begins, anticipation is building within the fintech community, with expectations of groundbreaking discussions, strategic partnerships, and initiatives that will further empower Africa’s fintech ecosystem. The summit’s 10th edition promises to be a defining moment in the evolution of fintech on the continent.

  • Prosper Africa Signs Sponsorship Deal With Africa Fintech Summit

    Prosper Africa Signs Sponsorship Deal With Africa Fintech Summit

    Prosper Africa has signed a deal with Africa Fintech Summit for the 9th edition of the latter’s conference.

    Organisers of the Africa Fintech Summit made the announcement of the sponsorship deal, adding that the event would be held in Washington DC on the 12th of April 2023 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington.

    Prosper Africa is the US Government initiative to increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and African countries.

    The sponsorship follows the US-Africa Leadership Summit (ALS) and the US-Africa Business Forum, both of which were held in December in Washington, D.C. 

    Recognizing the tremendous growth potential of Africa’s technology sector, President Joe Biden announced the launch of the White House’s Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative on December 14, and Prosper Africa announced the new Prosper Africa Tech for Trade Alliance, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

    Read also: The UK will host African Investment Summit in April 2024

    At a special session during the Africa Fintech Summit, the Prosper Africa Tech for Trade Alliance will be officially launched. This technology alliance of major American corporations aims to accelerate e-commerce and digital trade in Africa while also addressing legal, regulatory, and logistical bottlenecks across the continent. 

    “Africa’s digital ecosystem offers massive potential to spur economic recovery, promote opportunity, and create jobs,” said Scott Cameron, Acting Prosper Africa Coordinator. “We’re pleased to join the Africa Fintech Summit as a Gold Sponsor and partner for the upcoming 9th Summit here in Washington DC.”

    Other US Government agencies will join Prosper Africa in engaging with tech innovators, founders, and ecosystem players, as well as showcasing the full suite of US Government services and resources to advance 1ntech growth and US-Africa investment. 

    Since launching Prosper Africa in June 2019, the US government has assisted in the completion of 1100 transactions in 49 countries totaling $G5 billion in two-way trade and investment.

    According to Zekarias Amsalu, Co-Founder of AFTS and MD of Ibex Frontier expressed excitement at Proper Africa’s contribution to the event.

    “It is with immense gratitude and great pleasure that we welcome Prosper Africa as our Gold Sponsor for our summit in Washington DC in April this year. We are keen to work with Prosper Africa and the initiative’s partner U.S. Government agencies to avail US’ innovation capital to the African Fintech and tech ecosystem through the various tools at hand and deepen the US-Africa tech and investment ties.”

    Since its inaugural summit in 2018, the Africa Fintech Summit has grown to become the continent’s largest bi-annual financial technology gathering. AFTS will be supported by a diverse group of partners and sponsors in addition to Prosper Africa’s Gold sponsorship. The 9th edition of AFTS will focus on the US-Africa Tech Connection, Fintech regulatory best practices, diaspora banking and remittance, African Fntechs expanding globally, cross-border payment movements and use-cases for decentralised Finance (De1), Fintech funding trends, cross-border payments under the AfCFTA, and a variety of other spotlight topics. 

    About Prosper Africa 

    The White House initiative Prosper Africa aims to increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and African countries. 

    Prosper Africa brings together – and improves – the full suite of U.S. Government services and resources to assist companies and investors doing business in the United States and Africa.

    5 African Technology Conferences to attend in 2023

    About Africa Fintech Summit 

    The Africa Fintech Summit is a Dedalus Global and Ibex Frontier project that aims to highlight the innovation and entrepreneurs driving Africa’s digital transformation across a range of financial goods and services industries.

    AFTS is held twice a year, once in April in Washington, D.C., to coincide with the annual World Bank conference and once in November in a different African host city.

    The 9th AFTS will be hosted in Washington DC on April 12, 2023, while the 10th summit will be held in an African city to be announced soon.

  • Flutterwave partners Africa Fintech Summit as Lead Sponsor

    Flutterwave partners Africa Fintech Summit as Lead Sponsor

    The Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) 2023, which will take place in Washington, DC, on April 12, 2023, and in one African city whose location will be announced later in the year, has picked Flutterwave, Africa’s top payments technology provider, as its presenting sponsor.

    According to the company’s announcement, the sponsorship comes after permits were recently issued in Egypt that would enable Flutterwave to function as an official payment service provider there and expand its presence in the Middle East and North Africa.

    Since the establishment of the business in 2016, the Flutterwave team has been working to provide consumers and businesses in Africa and developing countries with limitless prospects.

    Currently, it has processed more than 400 million transactions totalling more than USD $25 billion in 34 African countries.

    Read also: Flutterwave and Tobi Amusan Launch $end Mobile App for Easy Funds Transfer

    More on the Africa Fintech Summit collaboration

    This comes after the business had a very successful year, increasing the number of businesses it served to over a million globally. 

    Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, CEO and founder of Flutterwave said, “Once again, we’re thrilled to be a main sponsor at this year’s AFTS event. We think the AFTS network has been crucial to the expansion of the African fintech ecosystem, and Flutterwave has played a key role in facilitating that growth.

    “We’re always enthusiastic to collaborate with the Africa Fintech Summit team in order to bring together the stakeholders and partners that enable us to make limitless progress. It’s a big step forward in our mission to unite Africa’s economies via streamlined financial transactions, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about this chance.

    With deep appreciation and pleasure, we’d like to announce that Flutterwave will be returning as the Lead Fintech Sponsor for our annual summits in April and November of this year. Fintech company Flutterwave “has been and continues to be an impactful, progressive, and innovative Fintech that enables the wide Fintech ecosystem in Africa and beyond, demonstrating the Africanization of Tech in its global growth trajectory,” said Zekarias Amsalu, Co-Founder of AFTS and MD of Ibex Frontier.

    Africa Fintech Summit has grown from its first summit in 2018 to become the continent’s premier financial technology conference every other year. In addition to Flutterwave, AFTS will have a wide variety of other sponsors and partners.

    The upcoming 9th edition of AFTS will feature a number of significant topics such as fintech regulatory best practices, diaspora banking & remittance, African fintechs expanding globally, cross border payment movements & use-cases for decentralized finance (Defi), fintech funding trends, cross-border payments under the AfCFTA, US-Africa tech connections, and several other spotlight topics.

    Flutterwave Adds eNaira as a Payment Option for Merchants

    Flutterwave prevalence in Africa

    Flutterwave makes use of cutting-edge technology to provide banks and companies with a safe and hassle-free payment platform for their clients. It has grown its presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and seven other African nations as the continent’s preeminent supplier of payment solutions.

    Flutterwave has handled $2.5 billion in payments and 100 million transactions since its launch, and it is partnered with 50 African banks and has over 1200 developers using its platform. In addition, Flutterwave has successfully raised over $20 million in funding.

    By establishing a reliable method of doing online financial transactions, the company hopes to usher in a period of unprecedented economic growth throughout Africa.