The latest group welcomes new representatives from Burkina Faso and Djibouti and reflects the continued expansion of Africa’s fintech ecosystem, showing that innovation is increasingly emerging beyond the continent’s traditional technology hubs.
visa announced the fifth group of the Africa FinTech Accelerator, welcoming 18 fintech startups selected from 28 markets on the African continent. The latest group welcomes new representatives from Burkina Faso and Djibouti and reflects the continued expansion of Africa’s fintech ecosystem, showing that innovation is increasingly emerging beyond the continent’s traditional technology hubs.
According to Visa, the startups selected for Cohort 5 closely reflect some of the most important trends shaping Africa’s financial technology landscape today. The focus is on fund movement and cross-border payments use cases, many of which are built on stablecoin-enabled infrastructure to support faster and more efficient transactions across borders.
The cohort also highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in African fintech. Several of the participating startups are deploying AI-driven solutions to address long-standing challenges in areas such as risk assessment, digital identity, fraud prevention, and credit scoring, especially in markets where access to traditional financial data remains limited.
Visa’s Africa Fintech Accelerator is designed to support early and growth-stage startups through mentorship, technical support, and access to Visa’s global network. By expanding its reach into new markets, the program continues to establish itself as a key platform for fostering fintech innovation and accelerating financial inclusion across Africa.