Visa convened founders, investors, corporate partners, and industry leaders in Cape Town for the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program Cohort 4 Demo Day, showcasing 22 fintech startups from across the continent.
The event marked the conclusion of a three-month program aimed at developing and scaling digital commerce solutions.
Cohort 4 includes startups headquartered in 12 African countries and operating across 31 markets.
Women-led innovation is notable in this group, with eight female founders and 90 percent of startups having women in leadership roles.
With this cohort, Visa has accelerated 86 African fintech startups, which collectively have a valuation of US$1.3 billion.
Alumni continue to expand into new markets, secure follow-on investment, and deepen commercial engagements with Visa.
Leila Serhan, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant and Pakistan at Visa, said:
“The startups in Cohort 4, including four from North Africa, Flend and Mnzl from Egypt, and Hsabati and Woliz from Morocco, truly capture the energy and ingenuity driving Africa’s fintech transformation. We are proud to stand behind their journey and eager to see the new possibilities they unlock as they scale across the continent.”
The program provides guidance across product design, marketing, finance, and sales, alongside mentorship from experienced founders and industry specialists.
It also facilitates strategic partnerships and investment opportunities through Visa’s network.
This year, corporate partners Bank of Africa, Onafriq, and First Bank of Nigeria contributed industry insights and operational support, creating avenues for potential partnerships and commercial engagements.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Middle East, based on image by teki7 via Freepik
