Telecom
Mastercard Announces Fintech Express to Empower MEA Fintechs to Launch and Expand Rapidly
Mastercard has launched Fintech Express in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), a program designed to facilitate emerging fintechs’ launch and expansion. Leveraging the power of partnerships and Mastercard’s expertise, technology, and global network, startups will now be able to focus on innovation that drives the digital economy.
Mastercard Fintech Express is designed for all types of fintechs: established fintechs wanting a direct license from Mastercard; as well as fintechs with the ambition to innovate through collaborating with ready-to-go Mastercard Engage partners. As such, the program is split into three core modules: Access, Build, Connect.
• Access: Enabling regulated entities to obtain a Mastercard License and access Mastercard’s network through a streamlined onboarding process
• Build: Fintechs as Processors/Enablers can become an Express Partner by building unique tech alliances and benefitting from all the advantages that Mastercard provides
• Connect: Fintechs/Start-ups, looking to add payment solutions to their suite of products, can easily connect with qualified Express Partners available on the Mastercard Engage web portal, and go live with Mastercard in a matter of days
The program supports digital payment innovators by making it simple to collaborate with Mastercard and its partners to launch new fintech products.
It is designed for fintechs looking to add payment solutions to their suite of products, tech-savvy startups looking at serving a new segment as well as established players with ambitions to innovate through partnerships.
Becoming an Express Partner helps brands simplify the launch of payment solutions, shortening the process from a few months to a matter of days. Express Partners will also enjoy all the benefits of becoming a Qualified Mastercard Engage Partner.
Gaurang Shah, senior vice president, Digital Payments & Labs, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard, said “Startups are forming diverse collaborations with traditional financial institutions, and in the process manage to enhance competitiveness, while also bringing services and products to market that can have a real impact on consumers.
“Mastercard is playing a central role in making fintech partnerships a reality as a single technology provider. Technological advancement and innovation are steering the digital financial services industry, where fintech players are becoming globally mainstream and an increasing influx of fintech players are competing with large traditional players.
“With today’s announcement we are taking the next step in further empowering them to fulfil their ambitions of scale and speed”.
In Africa, fintech startup funding is one of the most active business investments and Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya represent the lion’s share of investment.
The MEA region also currently has over 1,200 fintech players, covering everything from credit to insurance to wealth management offered through a centralized cloud-based platform.
Some of the early players to have joined forces and created alliances under the new Express Partner program across Sub-Saharan Africa are Diamond Trust Bank, DPO Group, Selcom and Tutuka.
“We are excited to partner with Mastercard under the Fintech Express program. The world has changed dramatically over the last few months and we are fast embracing a fully digital economy.
“As a bank driven by innovation, DTB is looking forward to collaborating with emerging fintechs in the region and providing them with the necessary support on their payment solutions,” said Farouk Khimji, Head of Products & Innovation at Diamond Trust Bank Kenya.
“We are delighted to be Mastercard’s preferred payments partner of choice on this exciting new initiative. Fintech Express will accelerate the ability of fintech firms to commercialize their operations and payments processes, driving financial inclusion and boosting business growth in Africa.
“We work with more merchants across more markets than any other payment service provider on the continent. The DPO Store, our e-commerce solution which is powered by Mastercard, enables merchants to set up integrated payments and a free e-commerce business website within 72 hours.
“The demand we have seen for the DPO Store demonstrates the appetite from business owners for effective, fast technological solutions,” commented Eran Feinstein, CEO and co-founder of DPO Group, a leading African payment service provider operating in 19 African countries.
“Our seven-year partnership with Mastercard has enabled us to go the extra mile and achieve unmatched scale in key African markets, while focusing on product-market fit for our innovative payment offerings.
“The strategic partnership has helped us to not only share our learnings with other Mastercard partners, but also to enable Mastercard to attain local expectations and needs with our brand association and presence.
“During our three-year run in this programme, we’ve discovered that such partnerships are critical in order to deliver products that enhance customers’ lives,” stated Sameer Hirji, Executive Director, Selcom, the largest payment service provider in East Africa.
“Tutuka and Mastercard share a common goal – to allow fintechs to easily issue Mastercard payment tools whether virtual, physical or mobile.
“Through those fintechs, customers across Africa and the Middle East will have a simple route to use Mastercard, often for the very first time. This is true financial inclusion,” said Rowan Brewer, CEO, Tutuka, a global payments enabler that powers millions of transactions every day.
Other players across Middle East and Africa are:
• Middle East & North Africa (MENA): Network International and First Abu Dhabi Bank
• South Africa (SA): Ukheshe and Nedbank
Mastercard Fintech Express falls under the umbrella of Mastercard Accelerate – Mastercard’s overarching fintech platform that gives start-ups and emerging brands support and assistance for every stage of their growth and transformation, from market entry to global expansion. Mastercard Accelerate is comprised of four main programs: Fintech Express, Start Path, Engage and Developers.
In a strategic move to deepen its presence in emerging economies, global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC has launched peer-to-peer (P2P) trading support for three new fiat currencies — the Nigerian Naira (NGN), Ethiopian Birr (ETB), and Pakistani Rupee (PKR). This expansion reflects the company’s increasing focus on localising crypto access in high-growth, underbanked regions.
The addition of NGN, ETB, and PKR to MEXC’s P2P platform enables users in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Pakistan to trade major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC) directly with their local currencies.
The trades come with zero transaction fees, in line with MEXC’s strategy to lower entry barriers for users and encourage grassroots participation in the digital asset economy.
The update is more than a technical expansion — it underscores MEXC’s recognition of Africa and South Asia as rising crypto frontiers. Nigeria, often cited as one of the world’s fastest-growing crypto markets, and Ethiopia, where digital finance is beginning to surge amid reforms, represent key territories for crypto adoption. Similarly, Pakistan’s growing youth population and fintech appetite offer strong potential for crypto-enabled financial inclusion.
To support the rollout, MEXC is actively onboarding new merchants to its P2P platform. Merchants benefit from zero transaction fees, dedicated customer support, a special verification badge, and invitations to exclusive community events. The goal is to nurture a local network of verified sellers and buyers who can facilitate seamless and trusted crypto trades.
P2P trading — which allows users to transact directly without third-party intermediaries — is especially relevant in markets where banking infrastructure is either insufficient or heavily regulated. By bypassing traditional systems, P2P provides a lifeline for users seeking stablecoins, alternative stores of value, or more flexible remittance solutions.
This latest expansion signals MEXC’s intent to compete aggressively for market share in underserved territories while enabling more users to access and benefit from Web3 technologies. As global exchanges race to localise their services, MEXC’s early moves into fiat integration may prove pivotal in shaping the next wave of crypto adoption across the Global South.
At the recently concluded NextNow Business Forum in Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria electrified the business community with a live demonstration of its forthcoming Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), a solution engineered to redefine how Nigerian enterprises connect with their customers.
Unlike traditional communication systems, MTN’s CPaaS is built for the realities of a mobile-first market. The platform unifies SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email, and more into a single, intuitive interface. This approach is especially significant in Nigeria, with over 107 million internet users, 45.4% of the total population, according to Data Report. This figure underscores the necessity for businesses to meet customers where they are.
During the demo, attendees witnessed how CPaaS enables two-way, real-time conversations between brands and customers. The platform’s support for rich media, instant analytics, and seamless integration with business workflows drew particular attention. These features are designed to empower businesses with data-driven insights and the agility to personalise every interaction, whether it’s a service notification, marketing campaign, or customer support exchange.
Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, articulated the vision: “CPaaS gives enterprises the flexibility to interact with their customers on their preferred platforms; whether it’s chat, voice, or messaging, in a way that feels personal and immediate. We’re looking forward to the value this will unlock for businesses across industries once it launches.”
The fireside chat added depth to the conversation, with Omowunmi Olatunbosun, Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria, and Stephen Agbi of Bayobab, highlighting how digital engagement bridges the gap between businesses and audiences.
They emphasised that today’s consumers demand immediacy, relevance, and ease, qualities that CPaaS is built to deliver.
The stakes for digital transformation in Nigeria are high. In a report by Punch, the country’s enterprise tech market is projected to reach $22 billion by 2027, reflecting a surge in demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions that drive efficiency and customer loyalty.
The CPAAS Acceleration Alliance have estimated that globally, the CPaaS market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%, a testament to the platform’s transformative potential.
The event’s closing keynote from META’s Korhan Yunak reinforced the strategic value of digital channels like WhatsApp, which are now indispensable for business communication and engagement at scale.
As MTN Nigeria prepares for the Q3 2025 launch, the anticipation is unmistakable. With its promise of flexibility, intelligence, and seamless integration, MTN’s CPaaS platform is set to become the backbone of next-generation business-customer engagement in Nigeria, enabling enterprises to not just communicate but to connect, adapt, and grow in a digital-first era.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
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