Africa-Press – Kenya. Fintech leaders primarily emerge from Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa—countries widely recognized for hosting the continent’s most advanced and well-capitalized technology ecosystems.
Ten African financial technology companies have been featured in the World’s Top Fintech Companies: 2025 list, a global ranking announced on July 16, 2025. Compiled by U.S. broadcaster CNBC in partnership with market research firm Statista, the list highlights the growing global prominence of fintech companies and Africa’s expanding influence within the sector.
The ranking spans seven critical market segments: payment services, neobanking, alternative finance, wealth management technologies, digital assets, business services, and insurtech. Companies were assessed using a combination of general performance indicators—such as revenue, average annual growth rate, and employee count—alongside tailored metrics specific to each fintech category.
The final list was created following an open call earlier in the year, where fintech companies were invited by CNBC to submit key performance data to Statista. In addition, Statista conducted an independent evaluation of over 2,000 companies to ensure broad industry representation. Companies selected for the ranking are listed alphabetically within their respective categories, rather than by numerical ranking.
Africa’s representation in the list is especially notable for its strong presence in high-impact financial service segments. Of the ten African companies recognized, seven operate within the payments space, two focus on alternative finance, and one specializes in wealth management technology. Collectively, these companies reflect the continent’s growing emphasis on financial inclusion and the development of robust digital payment infrastructure.
Within the payment services category, several Nigerian firms stood out. Interswitch, founded in 2002 by Mitchell Elegbe, plays a pivotal role across the entire payments value chain and attained unicorn status in 2019 after Visa acquired a 20% stake in the company. Another Nigerian standout, Moniepoint, was launched in 2015 by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike. It became a unicorn in October 2024 after securing $110 million in funding. Moniepoint delivers key payment services to banks and financial institutions, as well as individuals across West and East Africa.
From Egypt, MyFawry—publicly listed on the Cairo Stock Exchange—achieved unicorn status in August 2020. It serves over 30 million users and processes more than three million payment transactions daily. Another prominent Nigerian player, Opay, focuses its mobile payment operations in West and North Africa and reached unicorn valuation in 2021. PalmPay, also based in Nigeria, is known for its digital money transfer services.
Egypt’s Paymob stands out with its suite of over 50 digital payment solutions tailored for businesses across the Middle East and North Africa. Rounding out the payment firms is South Africa’s Yoco, launched in 2013 by Katlego Maphai, Carl Wazen, Bradley Wattrus, and Lungisa Matshoba. Yoco serves more than 150,000 small merchants and processes over $1 billion in annual card payments.
In the alternative finance segment, two African companies are making notable progress in expanding credit access. M-Kopa, founded in 2011, started in Kenya and has since expanded into Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana. The company has disbursed nearly $1 billion in credit to about three million underbanked customers, financing essential products like smartphones, off-grid solar systems, and health insurance. Tala, founded in 2014 by Shivani Siroya, reports having disbursed over $6 billion in loans to more than 11 million users across East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Lastly, in the wealth management technology category, Nigeria’s PiggyVest is recognized for its innovative digital savings and investment platform. Founded in 2016 by Nigerian entrepreneurs Odunayo Eweniyi, Somto Ifezue, and Joshua Chibueze, PiggyVest provides modern, accessible financial tools designed to help users save and invest efficiently
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