The Digital Revolution: Enhancing Cross-Border Payments in Africa – Panel at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2025 featuring insights and views from Eric Wainaina – General Manager, Africa at Conduit, Yemi Lawani – Director of Business Development at Circle Iheakachi Nwabueze – Head of Global Marketing and Growth at Grey Dr. Collins Igwe – CFO at Budpay and moderated by Paschal Okeke – Head of Operations & Expansion at CrissCross.

Panelists discuss the current state of cross-border payments on the continent, the technological advancements in financial services powered by blockchain and digital currencies and highlight the anticipated growth of the African payment market, projected to reach $40 billion with 70% being digital.

The session touches on key challenges in the industry, including high transaction costs, regulatory fragmentation, compliance complexities, inefficient banking infrastructures and differing regulatory frameworks across countries present additional hurdles for cross-border transactions.

Listen to a live panel on "The Truth About Venture Capital; Unveiling Today’s Trend & Reality" recorded live at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

With

Jason Njoku – Founder at NjokuZilla

Andreata Muforo – Partner at TLcom Capital

Selma Farouk – Investment Analyst at DPI VC

Maxime Bayen – Operating Partner at Catalyst Fund

Eric Osiakwan – Founder and Managing Partner at Chanzo Capital

Highlights include

🌍 Diverse Ecosystem: African investment opportunities span various sectors, with fintech and climate technology being front-runners.

📉 Current Trends: A noticeable decline in startup funding was observed, yet there’s optimism about recovery as macroeconomic conditions stabilize.

💰 Local Knowledge: The significance of local investors was emphasized for navigating Africa’s unique market complexities.

🚀 Growth Challenges: Founders need to adopt capital efficiency strategies and focus on sustainable growth amidst economic volatility.

Listen to a live panel on "Africa's FinTech Frontier: Payments & Growth Opportunities" recorded live at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

Featuring

Didi Uwemakpan - VP at Moniepoint

Adesoji Solanke - Head of FinTech & Banks, Investment Banking Origination at Absa

Shay Hamilton - CEO at Tola

Saruni Maina - Associate VP at Flutterwave

and moderated by Nkiru Uwaje - COO at Mansa Finance

Highlights from the session include:

🌍 Growth of Fintech: The African fintech industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increased mobile penetration and digital payment adoption.

💳 Mobile Money Integration: The rise of mobile money services is transforming payment systems, facilitating real-time transactions and increasing financial inclusion.

🔒 Challenges in Security: The advancement of technology also brings challenges, particularly in fraud protection and identity management for fintech companies.

Listen to a live panel on "Building Web3 Across The Continent " recorded live at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

Featuring

Chris Duffus - CEO at Fonbnk

Stephen Browne - Co-Founder at Sorted Wallet

Mouloukou Sanoh - Co-Founder & CEO at Mansa Finance

and moderated by Jessica Hope - CEO at Wimbart

Highlights from the session include:

🌍 Web3 as a Catalyst for Change: The panel emphasized that Web3 technologies could significantly reshape financial infrastructure in Africa, offering new methods for transactions and financial services.

📉 Financial Inclusion Challenges: A staggering 75% of adults in Southern Africa lack access to formal financial services, highlighting the pressing need for innovative solutions.

💰 Stablecoins’ Role: Stablecoins are viewed as a potential game-changer for financial transactions, providing stability and ease of use in volatile economies.

Listen to a live panel on "Stablecoins in Africa: Stability & Innovation Powering Digital Payments" recorded live at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

Victoria Calmon - Head of Marketing and Communications at Mento Labs

Daniel Kimotho - Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships at Celo Foundation

Sebastien Piolat - Business Development Director for Web3 at Opera

and moderated by Duncan Muchangi - Head of Business Development at Fonbnk.

The panelists explore challenges and opportunities in the adoption of stablecoins across the continent, financial literacy, accessibility, and the current reliance on mobile money systems. Sharing insights into prevalent use cases for stablecoins — like savings, payments, and remittances— and highlight the role of emerging technologies in bridging gaps within traditional financial systems. The discussion covers the importance of partnerships and the ecosystem required for stablecoin growth, as well as exciting projections for the future where traditional banking systems may evolve into a more decentralized financial landscape.

Listen to a live panel on "Insights From The Frontline" recorded live at Africa Tech Summit London. Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

Featuring:

Chika Nwobi – Founder & CEO at Decagon

Mike Quinn – Co-Founder & CEO at Boost

Uzoma Dozie – Chief Sparkler at Sparkle

Moderated by Jessica Hope – Founder & CEO at Wimbart

The session digs in to the founders stories, sharing their challenges and strategies for startups in the African tech ecosystem amidst macroeconomic difficulties. Panelists discussed the importance of building businesses with solid fundamentals, focusing on profitability, and managing risks such as currency devaluation and inflation. They also emphasized the need for startups to stay lean, adapt quickly, and maintain strong relationships with investors to secure funding during tough economic times.

Listen to a live panel on "Gen AI Hype or Reality? How are African Startups Building with Generative AI" recorded live at Africa Tech Summit London.

Featuring:

Honey Ogundeyi – Founder & CEO at Edukoya

Dave Evans – CTPO at pawaPay

Stefan Kruger – Vice President Of Engineering at Paystack

Ed Fricker – Director of Platform Engineering at Smile ID

and moderated by Kartik Renjen – Head of Startup/VC Biz Dev at Amazon Web Services

The session emphasizes the importance of integrating AI into both current operations and future visions, highlighting the value of building in-house AI expertise to stay competitive. Panellists stressed the need for early-stage start-ups to experiment with AI tools and avoid over-committing to specific technologies due to the rapid pace of innovation. Underscoring the potential for smaller, efficient teams to leverage AI for significant impact and encouraged innovative business models in the AI-driven market.

Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com.

The State Of African Fintech Trends & Opportunities recorded live at Africa Tech Summit London 2024 at he London Stock Exchange on June 7th, 2024.

Featuring Chinenye Agwu - VP Sales & Sector Head for PSPs at Flutterwave

Lewam Kefela - Principal at Partech Africa

Frank Atube - COO at Seamfix

Stephen Oluwatobi - Head of Operations at Kora Technologies

Babs Ogundeyi - Group CEO & Founder at Kuda Technologies

Moderated by Nkiru Uwaje - COO at Mansa Finance

The session focused on the current funding landscape for African fintechs and the challenges faced by the ecosystem over the past 12 months including the significant decrease in funding in 2023 due to global economic downturns, the necessity of educating regulators to bridge generational gaps and foster better understanding of fintech innovations, and the impact of regulatory and compliance challenges on business growth. Despite the setbacks, there's optimism about the future, highlighting the increasing number of funds earmarked for Africa and the potential for a resurgence in the fintech sector.

Visit our website for more details and future events: www.africatechsummit.com/

Africa Tech Summit panel session on Africa Tech Funding, Growth and Expansion featuring insights.

Laurien Field – Global Head, Startup Catalyst at IFC

Tingting Peng – Chief Capital, Strategy, and Impact Officer at Moove

Victor Alade – CEO and Co-founder at Raenest

Nina Triantis – Global Head of TMT at Standard Bank

Frannie Tyner- Director of Corporate Development at Onafriq

Moderated by Adewale Yusuf – Co-Founder & CEO at TalentQL

Subscribe for updates and join our live Summits in Nairobi, Ghana and London! More details on www.africatechsummit.com

The session highlights the shift in funding criteria, with higher expectations for company quality amidst the market’s volatility and macroeconomic shocks over the past 12 months. Despite this, there is pressure on VCs and growth equity funds to deploy capital, which is expected to lead to a reopening of capital flows over the next 12-18 months.

Regulatory instability in major African markets, such as Nigeria and Egypt, and the challenges of currency conversion are significant hurdles. However, there is optimism that increased funding and strategic exits could rejuvenate interest and investment in African startups, particularly if positive stories and stability are promoted. Additionally, while traditional private equity and debt financing continue to play roles, innovative funding structures and thematic investments are emerging as critical tools for supporting growth in this complex environment.

The Climate, Tech & Sustainability Series -

The Climate, Tech & Sustainability podcast series from Africa Tech Summit, supported by Mercy Corps Ventures and in partnership with the SixthD.

With insights from Kubik Inc. a company turning plastic waste into affordable and durable low-carbon buildings in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Featuring:

Kidus Asfaw, CEO and Co-Founder, Kubik Inc

Boko Inyundo, Founder The SixthD

Subscribe for updates and join our live Summits us in Nairobi and London! More details on www.Africatechsummit.com