For many African startups and small businesses, global ambition often collides with financial friction. The internet has dissolved geographic barriers but the payment processes are still evolving at a large scale.

In some scenarios there are cases of delayed settlements, hidden fees, unfavorable exchange rates and limited access to foreign currency accounts, often caused by lack of financial awareness. These are not abstract inconveniences about knowledge or the internet, they directly affect cash flow, planning, and growth.

Africa’s cross-border payments market is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035. Yet inefficiencies in remittances, foreign exchange access, and international transfers continue to create bottlenecks.

For emerging market businesses, participating in the global economy often means navigating fragmented systems.

It is within this context that Grey, a global fintech company, has launched Grey Business, a multi-currency payments platform designed specifically to simplify international transactions for African startups and SMEs.

Launched on February 10, 2026, during Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi in partnership with Paystack and Antler, Grey Business signals a deliberate expansion into the B2B payments space. The broader aim is clear: reduce friction and increase transparency in global financial operations.

What Grey Business Offers and Why It Matters

Grey Business is structured to address the most common barriers African businesses face when dealing internationally.

The first thing to know is that, it enables companies to open and operate USD corporate accounts. Access to foreign currency accounts is often a major constraint in many African markets, where regulatory or banking limitations restrict seamless international transactions.

A USD account provides businesses with the infrastructure to invoice, receive, and hold funds in a stable global currency.

Also, the platform allows companies to send and receive payments globally, with instant currency conversion at real-time exchange rates. This directly tackles two long-standing challenges: settlement delays and opaque pricing.

Traditional correspondent banking systems can take days to process cross-border transfers, often layering multiple intermediary fees along the way.

Real-time conversion and transparent rates improve predictability, a critical factor for financial planning.

Another thing to also note is that Grey Business supports USDC and USDT stablecoin transactions.

Stablecoins, pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, are increasingly used in cross-border settlements due to faster transaction speeds and reduced volatility compared to other cryptocurrencies.

For businesses comfortable with digital assets, this offers additional flexibility in managing liquidity.

The company’s regulatory positioning is also notable. Grey is regulated in the United States by FinCEN and in Canada by FINTRAC.

Regulatory oversight in major jurisdictions enhances credibility and signals compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and financial monitoring frameworks, a key requirement for businesses engaging in international transactions.

Grey currently serves nearly 3 million users across 70 countries and facilitates transfers to more than 170 destinations worldwide. During its beta phase, over 1,000 businesses signed up for Grey Business, indicating strong early demand.

From a reflective standpoint, this development reflects a shift in fintech: the transition from consumer-focused remittance solutions to integrated business banking platforms.

Early African fintech growth centered on peer-to-peer transfers and mobile money adoption. The next phase is infrastructure for scale, enabling SMEs to operate internationally without needing traditional multinational banking relationships.

CEO and Co-founder Idorenyin Obong described the product as a response to consistent feedback from business owners who cited payment delays and costs as recurring pain points.

That feedback-driven development model aligns with how many fintech innovations evolve: solving practical, repeated user problems.

Financial Inclusion at Scale

The launch of Grey Business represents more than a product expansion, it reflects the maturation of Africa’s fintech ecosystem.

As startups and SMEs become increasingly global from inception, financial infrastructure must match that ambition.

Seamless cross-border payments are not a luxury, they are foundational to participation in digital trade, remote services, e-commerce, and international partnerships.

Also, it is important to understand that cross-border payments involve multiple layers: currency exchange, settlement networks, compliance checks, and liquidity management. Platforms like Grey Business aim to integrate these layers into a unified interface, reducing complexity for end users.

However, broader systemic challenges remain. Regulatory harmonization across African markets, foreign exchange volatility, and evolving digital asset regulation will continue to shape the operating environment.

Sustainable growth will require collaboration between fintech firms, regulators, and financial institutions.

If Africa’s cross-border payments market reaches its projected scale by 2035, platforms that prioritize transparency, compliance, and user-centric design will likely play a central role.

SMEs form the backbone of most African economies, contributing significantly to employment and GDP. Simplifying their access to global markets has ripple effects beyond individual businesses, it strengthens economic resilience.

Grey Business positions itself as a bridge: a single platform where businesses can bank, convert currencies, send payments, and manage international operations with greater confidence.

In the long run, financial inclusion at scale will not depend solely on connectivity, but on usability and trust.

As fintech companies expand from individual services to integrated business solutions, the goal remains consistent, reducing friction so that growth is limited less by infrastructure and more by innovation.

For African entrepreneurs navigating global markets, that distinction matters.