to unlock faster and easier access to payment services for Africa’s growing fintech sector.

The collaboration will give fintech startups across the continent a direct path to Mastercard’s global payment network via the enza platform. This is expected to help emerging companies speed up product development and offer embedded payment services without the heavy technical lift of building from scratch.

“At Mastercard, we are focused on powering the fintech ecosystem by enabling access to our trusted global network. Through our work with enza, fintech innovators in Africa will be able to deploy embedded payment capabilities more efficiently, helping accelerate financial inclusion and the region’s digital transformation,” said Mete Guney, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard.

Africa’s fintech landscape has been expanding rapidly. According to the European Investment Bank, the number of fintech firms on the continent has nearly tripled since 2020. Many of these startups are focused on improving financial access by embedding payment solutions directly into everyday services, offering more affordable, flexible options compared to legacy systems.

As part of the deal, enza will handle key backend operations, hosting consumer and merchant accounts, managing the Mastercard integration, and maintaining high levels of security and system availability. Fintechs will be able to issue prepaid or postpaid accounts and offer physical or virtual Mastercard cards. For businesses, the platform will support Mastercard payment acceptance in-store, online, and in-app.

“enza is on a mission to make digital payments more accessible and affordable across Africa, helping to build a more financially inclusive continent that is ready and able to compete globally,” said Andrew Key, Executive Director, enza.

Founded in 2023, enza is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with regional offices in Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria.