E-Business
How Platforms and Payments are Driving Commerce in Africa

Is cash still king? Perhaps, but the acceptance and use of digital channels across Africa are rapidly increasing, experiencing their highest adoption rate in history.

Currently, Africa is one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world. According to Economist Intelligence, the continent will be the world’s second-fastest-growing major region in 2024, just behind Asia.
In the last decade, e-commerce has experienced phenomenal growth rates worldwide, with e-commerce sales projected to grow to USD 7 trillion globally this year. Across Africa, the retail landscape is undergoing a significant shift as contactless payments and mobile money become widely integrated. Consumers in many African countries are increasingly embracing these methods for transactions.
This SeerBit whitepaper explores Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), undoubtedly one of the smallest e-commerce regions in the world, but one with high growth potential.
The Rise of e-commerce in Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a major digital transformation across Africa, with the demand for digital payments experiencing a significant and sustained rise. The result? Digital payments have become an essential feature in the continent’s financial landscape.
One of the most significant developments in alternative payment methods in Africa continues to be the rise of mobile money. The phenomenal growth of mobile money can be attributed to three key factors: increased access to technology, challenges in accessing traditional financial services, and the pandemic-driven rise of contactless payments.
This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 144 mobile money providers are at the forefront of transforming consumer transactions. Notably, key players such as M-Pesa (by Safaricom), MoMo (by MTN) and Orange Money dominate the market share, as reported by Statista.
Notably, the region boasts 171 active mobile money service providers, indicating the expanding influence and acceptance of mobile money in the African financial landscape.
The secret to Africa’s pivot to greater e-commerce sales has also been faster growth in B2B sales, which layers online sales onto the existing network of informal retailers in the region, rather than supplanting them. B2B e-commerce platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa are thriving because they have overcome consumer trust and logistics issues by working with and tapping into the informal markets, rather than working around these sales channels. This has allowed the B2B platforms to provide goods into remote regions, well beyond urban areas.
Cross-border transactions have also played a key role in driving e-commerce. They make up more than half of all e-commerce transaction volumes in Sub-Saharan Africa. A portion of these cross-border volumes in SSA come from consumers accessing the rising domestic African e-commerce players across local borders, such as Jumia (Nigeria), Kilimall (Kenya), and Takealot (South Africa). Domestic e-commerce provision in Sub-Saharan Africa is only just beginning. Nevertheless, it presents an opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa to develop its own big hitters in the market and enhance the continent’s connection to the rest of the world.
Challenges to e-commerce Growth in Africa
Uneven connection across the region
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than a billion people, a large proportion of whom live in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. This huge population is not uniformly connected to the internet and there is some evidence that not all users are utilising their connectivity to its full capacity.
High inflation subduing consumer spending
Rising inflation means that individuals have less discretionary income and tend to spend less money on splurges or “luxury” products. Price becomes the leading factor in decision-making for many consumers. Across Africa, this may also mean looking to brick-and-mortar retailers and informal markets which mainly trade in cash to secure goods at lower prices.
Functionality limits user adoption
According to The State of Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems In Africa – SIIPS 2022 report, functionality pain points erode trust.
The lack of inclusivity translates into sub-optimal usage. Consumer research in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, the DRC and Egypt suggests that many end-users use digital payments only for limited use cases, such as sending and receiving money between friends and family. Consumer payments to merchants remain under-digitized: only 44 percent of individual respondents make P2B payments digitally.
The Role of Payment Platforms
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, a digital payment revolution is quietly unfolding. Fueled by the surge in mobile phones, the drive for financial inclusion, and the push for digital transformation, alternative payment methods are rapidly gaining much welcomed traction. Traditional banking infrastructure often struggles to reach the vast unbanked and underbanked populations, but these innovative solutions bridge the gap, offering financial services to a dramatically wider segment.
For example, according to the Global Findex Database (World Bank), in the region only three percent of the population has access to a credit card, while mobile phones have proliferated quickly, with a 75 percent penetration rate, making alternative payment methods a perfect match for the specific needs of Sub-Saharan Africa.
As Aida Diarra, senior vice-president and head of Visa in Sub-Saharan Africa puts it, “The fact that there are 261 million people today that do not have access to financial services – and combine the fact that there are less than two million businesses that accept digital payments – it creates an environment where innovation has to play a role to drive financial inclusion and commerce across the continent.”
Sub-Saharan Africa is now considered the global epicentre of mobile money, due to its 48 percent of global share of registered accounts. In 2022, this region had 763 million mobile money accounts, out of the 1.6 billion accounts worldwide. Furthermore, this trend has spiked with the high registration of new accounts in 2022, as the area was responsible for 59 percent of all new accounts registered globally.
Mobile money services have gained widespread adoption across the continent, with countries like Kenya and Ghana leading the way. In Kenya, for instance, mobile money platforms have revolutionised the way people transact, with transactions made via mobile wallets equivalent to a significant percentage of the country’s GDP. This success can be attributed to high mobile phone penetration, limited traditional banking infrastructure, and the affordability and convenience of mobile money services.
As the e-commerce sector becomes increasingly competitive, retail businesses need to adjust their approaches to include providing more value propositions for their main audience, localised e-commerce solutions and engaging more with a younger generation of consumers.
Conclusion
Sub-Saharan Africa’s payment landscape is undergoing a dynamic transformation, driven by innovation, alternative solutions and vibrant new market players. However, a critical gap remains. The infrastructure, regulations, and overall payment ecosystem haven’t fully matured to support the optimal development of payment services and remittance flows across the region.
Despite this, e-commerce in Africa is well underway. Estimates suggest about 264 e-commerce start-ups are operational across the continent, active in at least 23 countries. This indicates a significant potential to create new jobs – as many as three million by 2025. These jobs will be directly in online marketplaces, supporting services and spin-off economic activity.
E-Business
OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.
As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.
Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.
“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”
OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.
E-Business
Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.
Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.
According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.
To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.
The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.
The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.
“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.
E-Business
Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.
Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.
She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.
She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.
According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.
“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.
“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.
“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.
Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.
“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.
“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.
The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.
She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.
“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.
Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.
“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.
She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.
According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.
“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.
“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.
The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.
“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.
“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said
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