YAKUB ABDULRASHEED – Nigerian contactless payment infrastructure startup CashAfrica has partnered with fast-food chain Chicken Republic to accelerate the adoption of mobile tap-to-pay services across the country, beginning with 54 outlets in Lagos before expanding to another 296 branches across 25 states.
Announced at a signing ceremony in Lagos, the partnership aims to make digital payments faster, simpler and more accessible to everyday consumers.
CashAfrica hopes to leverage Chicken Republic’s extensive retail presence to introduce more Nigerians to contactless payments, which allow customers to pay by tapping compatible devices against payment terminals.
“Food is one of the easiest ways to influence customer behaviour,” CashAfrica CEO Malik Asamu said.
He added that the partnership could encourage greater participation in Nigeria’s emerging contactless payment economy.
What is CashAfrica and What Does It Do?
Founded in 2024 by Malik Asamu and Bello Opeyemi, CashAfrica provides contactless payment infrastructure that enables customers to pay merchants using compatible devices and NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals.
The technology allows supported devices to communicate with payment terminals over short distances, offering an alternative to conventional card payments and other checkout methods.
CashAfrica’s services target businesses ranging from small neighbourhood shops and supermarkets to fuel stations and restaurants.
The company says its service is free for customers, while merchants pay transaction fees ranging from 0.3% to 1.5%, depending on their transaction volumes.
By making contactless payments available at everyday businesses, CashAfrica hopes to encourage more consumers and merchants to embrace the technology.
What to Know About the Chicken Republic Partnership
The partnership will initially introduce CashAfrica’s tap-to-pay services at 54 Chicken Republic outlets in Lagos, with plans to extend the rollout to the restaurant chain’s other 296 branches across 25 states.
The arrangement gives CashAfrica access to an established fast-food network where customers can encounter and adopt the payment technology during routine purchases.
For Chicken Republic, the initiative aligns with its efforts to improve customers’ dining experiences by reducing friction during checkout.
“We continuously look for ways to make every meal faster, easier, and more convenient. Our partnership with CashAfrica brings that commitment into the payment experience,” said Solomon Ojelade, the chain’s head of finance.
The collaboration is expected to introduce contactless payments to more consumers while giving the restaurant another option for serving customers efficiently.
Why the Partnership Matters
CashAfrica’s partnership with Chicken Republic reflects a broader effort to make contactless payments a more familiar part of everyday transactions in Nigeria.
By introducing the technology at frequently visited restaurants, the company hopes to overcome limited awareness and encourage consumers to try alternatives to cash, bank transfers and conventional card payments.
Globally, Mastercard data cited in the announcement indicates that contactless transactions account for more than 75% of in-person card transactions.
However, adoption remains comparatively limited across Sub-Saharan African markets. CashAfrica believes partnerships with businesses that already serve large customer bases can help close this gap.
“This is a strategic partnership to take mobile tap-to-pay mainstream… It delivers a whole new layer of payment possibility,” Asamu said.
Transaction Growth, User Adoption and Expansion Plans
CashAfrica recorded 100,000 transactions by the end of 2025 and believes partnerships could help it reach a potential user pool of 30 million people. During its earlier beta-testing phase with PalmPay, the startup observed significant participation from users aged 20 to 30.
The company also claims that 90% of its first-time users choose tap-to-pay as their preferred payment channel when it is available.
Building on these early results, CashAfrica plans to partner with more leading fintech companies and banks before the end of 2026.
Asamu believes partnerships could help make contactless payments mainstream in Nigeria within eight months and across Africa within 18 months.
These timelines remain company projections, with widespread adoption dependent on consumer trust, merchant participation and reliable payment infrastructure.
Security Concerns and the Challenges Ahead
Despite its potential, contactless payment adoption faces challenges, particularly low consumer and merchant awareness and concerns about fraud involving transactions that may not require a PIN.
These concerns could discourage customers who are unfamiliar with the technology or uncertain about the safeguards protecting their money.
CashAfrica says its transactions can be completed in under a minute and that its infrastructure is designed to operate across networks with varying levels of latency. The company also says it incorporates anti-fraud measures to address security concerns.
Meanwhile, CashAfrica is not alone in promoting contactless payments. Touch and Pay Technologies, a Y Combinator-backed startup, has partnered with the Lagos State Government to enable the technology on BRT buses and trains.
Together, such initiatives could help expand contactless payment acceptance beyond retail outlets and into transportation and other everyday services.
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