Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has announced strategic investments and commercial partnerships with two fintechs following their 12-week engagement in the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program. This initiative supports startups in scaling through targeted training, expert mentorship, and high-value networking opportunities.
Visa’s latest investments include Konnect, a Tunisia-based fintech enabling seamless, accessible, and instant payments via sharable links sent through SMS, email, messengers, or WhatsApp; and PayTic, a Morocco-based company that streamlines back-office operations and strengthens risk control in digital payment systems.
“These innovative fintechs are a beacon of creativity and dedication, revolutionizing commerce and finance. Visa is proud to support their journey, providing essential resources, mentorship, and opportunities to drive digital transformation across Africa,” said Leila Serhan, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant, and Pakistan (NALP) at Visa.
Amin Ben Abderrahman, CEO of Konnect, expressed his excitement:
“We at Konnect are thrilled with Visa’s continued trust in our vision of driving seamless and instant payments across Africa, empowering businesses and individuals to transact with ease and confidence. As a global leader, Visa reinforces our commitment to shaping the future of payments.”
Imad Boumahdi, CEO of PayTic, added:
“With Visa’s backing, we are uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of possibility in fintech, helping bolster the compliance of digital payments and streamline operations for our clients. We look forward to leveraging Visa’s deep expertise, knowledge, and resources to drive growth and impact.”
These startups join the ranks of Visa’s other Accelerator alumni, including:
- Oze (Ghana), which delivers embedded finance products to SMEs,
- Workpay (Kenya), a cloud-based payroll platform,
- OkHi (Nigeria), offering smart address verification technology, and
- ORDA, a cloud-based restaurant software company digitizing operations for over 1,500 restaurants across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
Visa also announced a strategic partnership with Chari, a Moroccan B2B platform providing embedded fintech solutions for mom-and-pop stores. The partnership aims to boost SME digitization in Morocco and North Africa by promoting digital acceptance and issuance.
Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Co-Founder of Chari, said:
“Partnering with Visa will significantly enhance our financial services for merchants. By bringing Visa’s leading acceptance and payment capabilities to thousands of merchants across North Africa, we are poised to drive digital transformation and growth in the region.”
This announcement coincided with Visa’s participation as Financial Innovation Partner at GITEX Africa 2025, held from April 14–16 in Marrakech, Morocco. On April 15, Visa concluded the third cohort of the Africa Fintech Accelerator program at the GITEX 10X Stage, showcasing 19 innovative startups from across the continent to an audience of venture capitalists, angel investors, and strategic partners.
Representing 21 African countries, the third cohort featured next-gen fintech pioneers, with an impressive 85% of them led by women—a significant jump from less than 50% in the first edition and 65% in the second, reflecting Visa’s commitment to advancing gender equity in fintech.
The Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator is a three-month intensive program designed to support startups from Seed to Series A stage. It offers one-on-one mentorship, tailored training, and exclusive opportunities for investment and partnership, aligned with Visa’s broader commitment to investing $1 billion in Africa by 2027. Since its launch in 2023, the program has accelerated over 60 startups, with the fourth cohort set to be announced on June 2, 2025.
The program culminates in a Demo Day, where participants present their groundbreaking solutions to key ecosystem enablers, unlocking potential strategic collaborations, funding, and greater visibility for sustained growth.
