Across Africa, the infrastructure powering how money moves is being redefined by a new class of agile innovators. These African fintech payment gateways are simplifying financial access, and building trust for platforms, and consumers.
African fintech payment gateways are now central to the continent’s digital transformation, offering embedded finance, crypto acceptance, and SME tooling that rival global standards.
In this list, Techparley’s Quadri Adejumo spotlight the top 10 African fintech payment gateways leading that transformation, companies that are reshaping how African businesses get paid.
Payaza
Payaza is fast becoming one of the most trusted African fintech payment gateways, thanks to its strategic focus on financial discipline, regulatory compliance, and SME empowerment. More than just a payment processor, Payaza is building infrastructure tailored to merchants, aggregators, and service platforms.
Its robust API suite powers collections, disbursements, recurring billing, and custom payment flows. By prioritising long-term credibility over hype, Payaza has attracted serious interest from institutional stakeholders who see its model as proof that startups in Africa can speak the language of the capital markets. It stands out not just for what it does — but how it does it.
Ozow
Ozow is one of the fastest-growing payment gateways in South Africa, offering instant EFT (electronic funds transfer) payments without the need for credit cards. Its API-driven system allows merchants to receive payments directly from customers’ bank accounts in seconds, a game-changer in a market still dominated by traditional banking interfaces.
Ozow has made online payments accessible to more consumers while reducing merchant costs. The company is aggressively scaling its reach by partnering with major South African retailers and investing in new financial products for ecommerce, mobile apps, and recurring payments.
Yoco
Initially launched as a point-of-sale (POS) provider for small South African businesses, Yoco has since grown into a full-fledged digital payment ecosystem. Its online payment gateway now offers card-not-present tools, QR codes, ecommerce plugins, and invoice links, all with the same intuitive interface that made its POS devices a hit.
Yoco’s strength lies in its deep connection with South Africa’s micro and informal businesses. As more SMEs go digital, Yoco is expanding both its hardware and software offerings to ensure entrepreneurs can sell anywhere, anytime. Its community-first ethos makes it a unique and important player in the payment gateway sector.
Klasha
Klasha is building the bridge between African consumers and global merchants. The platform enables shoppers to pay international ecommerce retailers in local currencies like the naira, while merchants receive settlement in USD, EUR, or GBP. For merchants, this removes the friction of local onboarding; for consumers, it means access to products once out of reach.
Klasha’s infrastructure supports cross-border payments, currency exchange, and checkout localisation, all within a user-friendly API or plugin. With the growth of digital shopping across Africa and the rise of Gen Z consumers, Klasha has carved a niche in payments at the intersection of culture, fashion, and global commerce.
Chipper Cash
Chipper Cash is designed to provide seamless digital payments for platforms handling remittances, bills, airtime top-ups, and more. While Chipper Cash initially gained traction among individuals sending money across borders, it has expanded its focus to include developers and business owners looking for scalable, low-friction APIs to power transactional apps across Africa.
The company’s strategic partnerships with mobile money providers make it ideal for embedded finance, especially in app-driven ecosystems like micro-lending, ride-hailing, and gaming. Despite facing operational recalibrations, Chipper remains resilient, and Checkout is increasingly viewed as one of its most stable, revenue-generating units.
Cellulant
Cellulant has built one of the most comprehensive payment ecosystems on the continent. Operating across different African countries, Cellulant provides a unified payment platform that connects banks, mobile money services, and merchants. Cellulant’s strength lies in its ability to deliver reliable infrastructure to large institutions, including telecoms, governments, and airlines.
While not always in the limelight, Cellulant plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in facilitating retail and institutional payments from Nairobi to Lusaka. Its resilience, built on deep regional partnerships and regulatory alignment, positions it as a trusted layer in Africa’s fragmented payment rail network.
Flutterwave
Flutterwave has an expansive API-driven architecture that powers thousands of global and local merchants across 30+ African countries. The company’s platform supports card payments, bank transfers, mobile money, POS transactions, and cross-border settlements, making it a one-stop shop for startups, multinationals, and digital platforms entering the continent.
Over the years, Flutterwave’s infrastructure has proven robust enough to support complex use cases in ecommerce, hospitality, remittances, and gig work. Despite regulatory bumps in some countries, Flutterwave remains a frontrunner by continually investing in compliance, innovation, and strategic expansion across both Anglophone and Francophone Africa.
DPO Group
DPO Group is a heavyweight in East and Southern Africa’s digital commerce space. It provides tailored merchant services to sectors like hospitality, travel, and online retail, supporting card payments, EFT, and mobile money integration.
DPO enables seamless commerce across regional markets that traditionally struggle with interoperability. It’s regional know-how and regulatory compliance give it an edge, particularly among global businesses looking to localise operations in Africa. It is especially strong in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa.
Beyonic
Beyonic focuses on digitising collections and payouts for NGOs, healthcare organisations, and small enterprises. With an emphasis on mobile money integrations, Beyonic offers a lightweight but powerful dashboard where users can manage vendor payments, payroll, and bulk disbursements in real time.
What makes Beyonic unique is its humanitarian roots, as the platform was designed with financial access and transparency in mind. Its tools help organisations ensure every dollar reaches its intended recipient with minimal friction. As mobile money adoption rises, Beyonic is well-positioned to serve the needs of mission-driven enterprises operating at scale across East Africa.
Paystack
Paystack continues to lead with a sleek, developer-first product that simplifies online payments for merchants of all sizes. Known for its clean APIs, quick merchant onboarding, and elegant checkout flows, Paystack provides infrastructure for card payments, USSD, Apple Pay, and direct bank transfers.
Having expanded into Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, Paystack is rapidly deepening its African footprint while leveraging Stripe’s global infrastructure. Its product suite also includes recurring billing, fraud monitoring, custom webhooks, and integration with ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
African Fintech Payment Gateways FAQs
What are African fintech payment gateways?
African fintech payment gateways are digital platforms that facilitate seamless payment processing across the continent. They enable businesses to collect, disburse, and manage funds through mobile money, cards, bank transfers, and even cryptocurrencies.
Why are African fintech payment gateways important in 2025?
In 2025, African fintech payment gateways play a crucial role in driving digital financial inclusion, powering ecommerce, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
How do these fintech gateways support cross-border transactions?
Many African fintech payment gateways offer multi-currency support, cross-border wallet interoperability, and real-time settlements, which reduce the friction and cost traditionally associated with sending money across African countries or from abroad.
What features should businesses look for in a fintech payment gateway?
Businesses should prioritise gateways that offer local currency support, mobile money integration, fast settlement times, strong security protocols, and developer-friendly APIs. Compliance with local regulations and transparent pricing is also key.
