Payment providers in Africa, by what they do (2026)

Gateways, mobile money, payout infrastructure, remittance networks, B2B accounts and instant payment systems, grouped by the job they do.

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Market guideUpdated November 1, 202615 min read

By Eytan Messika, Founder at Nilos.

Last checked 1 November 2026.

What are the top payment platforms in Africa? No single platform is the top one, because "payments in Africa" covers six different jobs. A shop taking cards and M-Pesa needs a gateway. A remittance company paying out in Lagos and Dakar needs payout infrastructure. A bank moving naira between accounts uses NIP. Start with the job, then compare providers that do that job.

This page groups the main providers by job. Each group covers the job, the buyer and example providers. Each provider gets one sourced fact. Then come the questions to ask before you sign.

How we built this map. Every fact comes from a public source. Most come from the provider's own site, docs or press releases. The rest come from central banks or payment system operators. If a provider's site blocked our checks, we used a dated press report and named it in the text. Nobody paid to be listed. Providers are in alphabetical order inside each group. We left out prices and fees because they change by country, volume and contract. If a fact here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Nilos is a provider in group 3 and is labelled as us.

The six jobs at a glance

JobWhat it doesTypical buyer
1. Merchant checkout (payment gateways)Takes card, bank and mobile money payments from customersOnline shops, apps, airlines, schools
2. Mobile money networksHolds wallets that people and merchants use every dayConsumers, merchants, and businesses paying or collecting from wallets
3. Payout and collection infrastructurePays out to and collects from local bank accounts and mobile wallets across many countries, through one connectionRemittance companies, PSPs and wallets, fintechs, platforms
4. Remittance networks and hubsMoves money sent by people abroad to families at home, through agents, banks and walletsSenders (consumer brands) and money transfer companies (hubs)
5. B2B cross-border accounts and supplier paymentsGives a business accounts in foreign currencies and pays suppliers abroadImporters, exporters, marketplaces, platforms
6. National instant payment systemsMoves money between banks and wallets inside one country or regionBanks and licensed payment companies (businesses reach them through a participant)

1. Merchant checkout: payment gateways

The job. Accept card, bank transfer, USSD, QR and mobile money payments, online or in store. Then settle the money to the merchant.

Who buys it. Businesses that sell to consumers or businesses and need a checkout, payment links or a POS terminal.

Example providers

  • DPO Pay. Card and mobile money acceptance, with POS, payment links and e-commerce plugins. Its site lists Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. It claims "a presence in more than 20 countries." dpogroup.com
  • Flutterwave. Collections in 30+ currencies with 15+ payment options, plus payouts. Options include cards, bank transfer, mobile money, M-Pesa and USSD. flutterwave.com
  • Paymob. Egyptian payments company serving merchants across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. It received a retail payment services licence in the UAE in 2025 (Daba Finance, 4 February 2025). dabafinance.com
  • Paystack. Online payments for businesses, based in Lagos. Stripe agreed to acquire Paystack in October 2020. stripe.com Its merchants include businesses in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire and Kenya (Techpoint Africa, February 2024). techpoint.africa
  • Pesapal. In-store and online payments in Kenya, including M-Pesa and cards on one POS machine. It says it is regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya. pesapal.com
  • Yoco. Card machines, point of sale and online payments for independent South African businesses. yoco.com

Questions to ask before choosing

  • Which payment methods are live in each country you sell in? Mobile money in Ghana is a different integration from cards in Nigeria.
  • Which currency do you settle in, and how often?
  • Who handles chargebacks and disputes, and what evidence do they need?
  • Is the provider licensed in the country where your customers pay, or does it work through a partner?
  • Can you go live in a new country without signing a new contract?

2. Mobile money networks

The job. Run the wallets. Mobile money operators hold the customer's balance. They run agent networks for cash in and cash out. Businesses use their APIs to collect from wallets and pay out to them.

Who buys it. Consumers and small merchants use the wallets directly. Businesses connect to one operator's API, or reach many operators at once through group 3.

Example providers

  • Airtel Money. 54.1 million customers at 31 March 2026. Airtel Africa operates in 14 African countries. airtel.africa
  • M-Pesa. Launched in Kenya in 2007. Vodacom says its mobile money platforms, including Safaricom, processed US$525.6 billion in the year to 31 March 2026. vodacom.com In Kenya, Safaricom's Daraja platform gives web and mobile apps access to M-Pesa APIs. developer.safaricom.co.ke
  • MTN MoMo. MTN reports 70.8 million monthly active users and 2.3 million active merchants in the first half of 2026. mtn.com
  • Orange Money. Orange reported 54 million Orange Money customers in Africa and the Middle East at 30 September 2026. orange.com
  • Wave. Launched in Senegal in 2017. Wave lists in-country teams in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Uganda, Niger, Sierra Leone and Cameroon. wave.com

Questions to ask before choosing

  • Do you need one operator in one country, or many operators across countries? For many, compare one direct integration per operator with one provider from group 3.
  • What are the wallet limits per transaction and per day for the people you pay?
  • How does the API confirm the name on the wallet before you send?
  • What happens to a payment sent to an inactive or full wallet?

3. Payout and collection infrastructure for licensed money movers

The job. Pay out to bank accounts and mobile wallets across many African countries, through one connection. Collect by bank transfer and mobile money. The provider holds or partners for local licences. It connects to banks, mobile money operators and national systems, and handles FX.

Who buys it. Licensed money movers: remittance companies, PSPs and wallets, fintechs and FX brokers, and platforms that pay sellers or suppliers. The buyer usually holds its own licence and needs reach in countries where it has none.

Example providers

  • Cellulant. Pan-African payments company. Its Tingg platform lets businesses collect and pay across payment methods and currencies. cellulant.io
  • dLocal. Pay-ins and payouts for global enterprises in emerging markets. Its coverage list includes 36 countries in Africa and the Middle East. These include Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. dlocal.com
  • Fincra. Collections, payouts and virtual accounts by API. Its site has country pages for Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Cameroon and Senegal. fincra.com
  • Kora. Pan-African pay-ins, payouts (bulk, multicurrency and mobile money), virtual accounts and settlements. Its site has regions for Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire. korahq.com
  • Nilos (us). Payouts in 100+ local currencies plus SWIFT. Accounts in your client's name: USD, EUR, GBP, AED, KES and XOF. You can fund in local currency: NGN, KES, XOF or XAF. See payouts, virtual accounts and the country list on coverage.
  • Onafriq. Describes itself as a "Network of Networks". It reports 43 African nations in its network and 2,000 cross-border payment corridors. It lists money transfer organisations, banks and mobile network operators among its partners. onafriq.com

Questions to ask before choosing

  • For each country you need: which rails are live (bank, mobile money, or both), and which mobile money operators?
  • Who holds the licence in each country? Does it cover your flow, for example inbound remittances versus business payouts?
  • Can you fund in local currency, or only in USD or EUR?
  • How does the provider check the account or wallet name before a payout?
  • How are failed and returned payouts reported (webhooks, references)? How long until the money is back in your balance?
  • Can you get accounts in your clients' names, or only in yours?
  • Which compliance documents will they ask for, and who reviews your end customers?

4. Remittance networks and hubs

The job. Move money that people abroad send to family at home. Consumer brands take the money from the sender. Hubs connect those brands to agents, banks and wallets in the receiving country.

Who buys it. Senders use the consumer brands. Money transfer companies, banks and fintechs buy reach from the hubs. That lets them pay out where they have no partner.

Example providers

  • Mastercard Move. Mastercard's cross-border money movement portfolio. It pays to bank accounts, cards, wallets and cash pickup in 200+ countries and territories. mastercard.com
  • MoneyGram. Says it reaches 200+ countries and territories with 480,000+ retail locations and 60 million active customers. corporate.moneygram.com
  • Mukuru. Remittance company sending to 60+ countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and the US. It has 320,000+ pay-in and payout locations and 17 million customers. mukuru.com
  • Visa Direct. Visa's money movement platform for banks, fintechs, businesses and governments. It reaches 195+ countries and territories through card, wallet and domestic schemes. visa.com
  • Western Union. Money transfer to every country except Iran and North Korea. It works through a 500,000+ agent network and a digital platform. westernunion.com
  • Zepz. Runs the WorldRemit and Sendwave brands. It has over 9 million customers sending to 130+ locations. zepz.io

Questions to ask before choosing

  • Do you need cash pickup, or only bank and wallet payouts?
  • Which receiving countries matter most to your senders, and which payout methods are live there today?
  • For money transfer companies: in each country, does the hub pay out under its own licence or a partner's?
  • How does the hub report status for each payout back to you?

5. B2B cross-border accounts and supplier payments

The job. Give a business foreign-currency accounts to receive from buyers abroad. Convert, then pay suppliers in other countries. For African importers, that is often China, the EU or the US.

Who buys it. Importers, exporters, marketplaces and platforms. Platforms serving many such businesses buy it as infrastructure. They open accounts and pay suppliers on behalf of their clients.

Example providers

  • Airwallex. Multi-currency business accounts, international transfers, cards, and APIs for accounts, payments and payouts. airwallex.com
  • Nium. Cross-border payouts to 190+ countries and multi-currency accounts in 100+ currencies. It sells to banks, fintechs, marketplaces and platforms. nium.com
  • Payoneer. Says businesses can get paid in 70+ currencies. It offers receiving accounts, batch payments and mass payouts for marketplaces. payoneer.com
  • Rapyd. Accept, send and manage funds globally, with multi-currency business accounts, payouts and card issuing. rapyd.net
  • Verto. B2B cross-border payments and FX with multi-currency business accounts. Its currency pages include the Nigerian naira, Kenyan shilling, South African rand and Chinese yuan. verto.co

Nilos also offers accounts in your client's name: USD, EUR, GBP, AED, KES and XOF.

Questions to ask before choosing

  • Is the account in your company's name, or can it be in your client's name?
  • Which supplier countries and currencies can you pay, and on which rails (local transfer or SWIFT)?
  • Does the supplier see your name or your client's name as the payer?
  • What documents does each payment need (invoice, contract, customs papers)?
  • Can you fund from African currencies, or do you need USD first?

6. National instant payment systems

The job. Move money between banks inside one country or region, around the clock. Some systems also connect wallets. These are public or bank-owned systems, not companies you sign up with.

Who buys it. Banks, mobile money operators and licensed payment companies connect as participants. Businesses use them through a participant: their bank, or a provider from groups 1 and 3.

Example systems

  • GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP), Ghana. Real-time account-to-account credit transfer run by GhIPSS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana. Participants must be licensed by the Bank of Ghana. ghipss.net
  • GIMACPAY, CEMAC. Run by GIMAC under the BEAC. It connects banks, microfinance institutions and mobile money operators in the six CEMAC states. These are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad. GIMAC reports 6 countries and 123 active members. gimac-afr.com, beac.int
  • NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP), Nigeria. Real-time interbank transfer by account number. NIBSS runs it. Nigeria's licensed banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria own NIBSS. nibss-plc.com.ng, about NIBSS
  • PAPSS, pan-African. Cross-border payment and settlement system supported by Afreximbank, the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat. Its June 2026 coverage document lists 180+ live participants. That document lists live participants in 14 African countries. papss.com, coverage PDF
  • PesaLink, Kenya. Account-to-account transfer network run by Integrated Payment Services Limited, a Kenya Bankers Association subsidiary. It has 80+ participants, including banks, SACCOs, telcos and fintechs. pesalink.co.ke
  • PI-SPI, WAEMU/UEMOA. The BCEAO's instant payment platform for the eight WAEMU countries. It launched on 30 September 2025. Banks, e-money issuers and payment institutions had until 30 September 2026 to connect. bceao.int, BCEAO deadline notice

Questions to ask your provider about these systems

  • Is your provider a direct participant, or does it reach the system through a bank?
  • Can it pay both bank accounts and wallets through the system in that country?
  • What happens to payments sent outside the system's operating hours or during an outage?
  • For PAPSS: are both the sending and receiving institutions live participants today?

How to choose: a checklist

  1. Name the job. Collect from customers (group 1), pay out (group 3), send for consumers (group 4) or pay suppliers abroad (group 5). Many companies need two.
  2. List your countries and rails. For each country, write down whether you need bank accounts, mobile wallets or both, and which operators.
  3. Check the licence per country. Ask who holds it and whether it covers your flow. "We cover 30 countries" can mean 30 licences or 30 partners.
  4. Check how you fund. Local currency, USD, EUR, or prefunded balances per country.
  5. Ask how failures work. Name checks before payout, return reasons, webhooks, and how long until the money is back.
  6. Ask for the full cost per payment in writing, FX included.
  7. Test before you sign. A sandbox, then a small live batch in your hardest country.
  8. Check whose name is on the account and on the payment, yours or your client's.

Sources

Every source below was opened between 27 October and 1 November 2026.

Group 1: merchant checkout

Group 2: mobile money

Group 3: payout and collection infrastructure

Group 4: remittance networks and hubs

Group 5: B2B cross-border accounts

Group 6: national instant payment systems

FAQ

What is the best payment platform in Africa?

There is no single best one. A business that sells online needs a payment gateway such as Paystack, Flutterwave or DPO Pay. A company that pays out across Africa needs payout infrastructure such as Onafriq or Cellulant. Pick the group that matches your job first, then compare providers inside it. Nilos, the publisher of this page, also provides payout infrastructure.

What is the difference between a payment gateway and a payout provider?

A payment gateway collects money from customers at checkout: cards, bank transfers and mobile money. A payout provider sends money from a business to bank accounts and mobile wallets, often in many countries. Some companies do both, but they are usually bought by different teams for different flows.

Which payment providers work in francophone West and Central Africa?

Orange Money and Wave run wallets in several WAEMU countries. The BCEAO's PI-SPI connects banks and wallets across all eight. In CEMAC, GIMACPAY connects banks and mobile money operators in six countries. Check each provider's live country list before you sign. With Nilos you can fund in XOF and XAF.

How do cross-border payments into Africa work for a licensed money mover?

The money mover collects funds abroad and converts them to local currency. A local partner pays out on local rails. That means a bank transfer over a system like NIP or PesaLink, or a mobile money wallet. Payout infrastructure providers bundle the local licences, rails and FX behind one connection.

How were the providers on this page chosen?

We used public sources: provider sites, docs and press releases, plus central bank and system operator pages. Where a site was unreachable, we used a dated press report. No provider paid to be listed. Last checked 1 November 2026. Nilos is listed in group 3 and labelled as us.

Paying out across Africa

See where Nilos is live today on coverage, or talk to our team.

For companiesthat pay out across Africa.

See where Nilos is live today, or talk to our team.

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