Visa expands Visa Pay to additional issuers across Africa, accelerating digital payments access

Visa is expanding access to Visa Pay for additional issuers across Africa through a software development kit (SDK) that helps banks, mobile money operators and fintechs embed Visa Pay capabilities into their existing mobile applications and to launch virtual cards and payment experiences quickly and securely.

Visa Pay is an interoperable and secure way for banked and unbanked consumers to pay, get paid and move money across participating banks, fintechs and mobile networks.

With integrated issuer processing capabilities, built-in customer experience, tokenisation readiness and Visa-certified security and compliance components, the SDK helps accelerate and simplify the deployment of Visa Pay, particularly in markets where infrastructure constraints can slow digital transformation.

Supporting diverse payment needs across markets

Issuers adopting Visa Pay’s SDK today span multiple markets across Africa including Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Comoros, Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania and Sierra Leone. Partners range from banks and mobile money operators to fintechs and licensed payment service providers.

Visa Pay supports a range of digital payment use cases, including e-commerce and remittances, mobile money-linked virtual cards, virtual card issuance, humanitarian disbursements and processing enablement.

Looking ahead, Visa Pay will continue to evolve with new capabilities designed to further simplify everyday payments. Among the features expected to launch soon is Tap to Pay, which will enable consumers to make secure contactless payments by simply tapping their phone at a contactless-enabled checkout terminal.

“Visa Pay is designed to help issuers meet a wide range of market needs: from secure e-commerce and remittances to mobile money-linked virtual cards, humanitarian disbursements, person-to-person payments and future contactless experiences,” says Godfrey Sullivan, senior vice-president and head of Products and Solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Visa.

“By embedding these capabilities directly into existing mobile applications, Visa Pay’s SDK helps banks, mobile money operators and fintechs bring trusted digital payment experiences to consumers faster, while unlocking new opportunities for growth across domestic and cross-border use cases.”

“Visa Pay’s ability to connect multiple payment methods through a trusted global network aligns well with our strategy of enabling broader access to digital payments while maintaining high standards of security, reliability and user experience,” adds John Vandi, head of Project Management and Governance at Access Bank, Sierra Leone.

“The adoption of Visa Pay represents an important step in strengthening our digital payments capabilities and supporting our broader digital transformation agenda,” notes Yousif Eltinay, CEO of United Capital Bank. “At a time when Sudan’s current challenges have increased the need for resilient and accessible financial services, we believe digital payment solutions play a critical role in enhancing customer convenience, supporting business continuity and promoting financial inclusion.”

Ahmed Gaafar Abdelrahim Hassa, director of Faisal Islamic Bank (FIB) in Sudan, comments: “Through Visa Pay, FIB customers will be able to seamlessly perform e-commerce and P2P transactions using virtual Visa cards linked directly to their accounts, enabling secure online payments both locally and internationally.

“Visa Pay stood out due to its seamless user experience, robust security and compliance standards, SDK-based integration model and access to Visa’s global acceptance network. The platform’s flexibility, scalability and interoperability provide a strong foundation for future payment innovations and support the bank’s long-term growth objectives.”

Says Gazza Motswagole, commercial & marketing director at Orange Money Botswana: “Visa Pay will play a central role in advancing our digital transformation agenda, enabling us to deliver more secure, convenient and inclusive payment experiences for our customers. Over time, we expect it to drive greater customer engagement, expand our digital ecosystem and unlock new revenue opportunities across both domestic and cross-border use cases.”

According to Jesse Jackson, chief digital and innovation officer at Tanzania Commercial Bank: “From a business perspective, Visa Pay will help us accelerate digital adoption among both consumers and merchants, increase transaction activity within our ecosystem, expand merchant acceptance and strengthen customer engagement. It also supports our broader goal of driving financial inclusion by bringing more individuals and businesses into the digital economy.”

Ally Raheemeea, CEO of EZ Dash Ltd (ZwennPay) in Mauritius, concludes: “Visa Pay provides advanced capabilities such as tokenisation, enhanced security, digital credential management and support for next-generation payment experiences. These capabilities align perfectly with our strategy of building a modern, scalable and interoperable payment ecosystem.”