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Visa, the global leader in digital payments, has announced the launch of applications for the fifth cohort of its Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program. The 12-week virtual program offers early-stage African fintechs intensive training, mentorship, networking, and access to Visa’s extensive ecosystem of partners and investors. Applications are now open and will close on August 15.

At the same time, Visa revealed the 22 startups selected for Cohort 4, representing 12 countries and offering diverse innovations across lending, cross-border payments, SME digitization, payroll, B2B payments, AI, social commerce, neo-banking, and climate resilience. These startups will undergo a three-month accelerator experience, culminating in an in-person Demo Day, where they will pitch to key ecosystem players, angel investors, and venture capitalists.

Since its launch in 2023, the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator has supported 64 startups across three cohorts. Collectively, these startups have achieved $3 million in revenue growth during the program and raised over $55 million post-graduation. The initiative is part of Visa’s broader commitment to invest $1 billion in Africa by 2027 to advance the continent’s digital payments infrastructure and promote financial inclusion.

> “Visa is committed to fostering innovation and promoting access and inclusion within Africa's financial ecosystem,” said a Visa spokesperson. “As digital transformation accelerates across the continent, we are proud to support the next wave of fintech leaders through Cohort 5, and to welcome the newest cohort of visionary startups.”

Meet the 22 Startups of Cohort 4

BigDot.ai (Zimbabwe): Helping SMEs reduce cash dependency via digital transformation, blockchain inclusion, and smart checkouts.

ChatCash (Zimbabwe): Enables SMEs to sell via messaging apps using multilingual AI tools for engagement and payments.

Credify Africa (Uganda): Unlocks trade finance for African importers with capital, logistics, and cross-border payment solutions.

Flend (Egypt): A digital non-bank financial institution offering data-driven SME financing solutions in North Africa.

Hsabati (Morocco): Operational management and financing access platform for businesses using data collection and scoring.

IPT Africa (Mauritius): Offers cross-border payroll, real-time FX, and same-day bulk payments.

Lemonade Payments (Kenya): Provides blockchain-based, white-label wallets for secure digital transactions.

Maishapay (DRC): A B2B platform with digital payments, payroll, and POS solutions for African businesses.

MNZL (Egypt): Unlocks consumer equity in homes and cars to offer accessible asset-backed credit.

Motito (Ghana): An asset-financing marketplace offering flexible payment plans for essential purchases.

Muda (Kenya): A digital asset exchange and OTC platform for stablecoin-based cross-border transactions.

mystocks.africa (Botswana): Simplifies investing in African equities through a unified trading platform.

OKO Finance (Ivory Coast): Delivers automated climate insurance to de-risk agricultural investments.

PressPayNg (Nigeria): Offers banking, insurance, and financing tools to support education funding.

Sevi (Kenya): Streamlines B2B payments for retailers within non-digitized value chains.

Shiga Digital (Nigeria): Provides user-friendly access to decentralized financial tools.

ShopOkoa (Kenya): Combines AI, daily savings, and credit for micro-entrepreneurs and traders.

Startbutton (Nigeria): Helps businesses accept and pay in local currencies across Africa compliantly.

Twiva (Kenya): A social commerce platform where influencers help businesses promote and sell products.

Vittas (Nigeria): Enables healthcare providers to access financing and digital tools to improve services.

Woliz (Morocco): Turns nano-stores into fintech hubs offering loyalty, payments, and AI-powered tools.

Zazu (South Africa): A digital bank for SMEs offering accounts, invoicing, and financial management in one platform.

Visa’s accelerator continues to play a crucial role in nurturing Africa’s fintech talent, enabling startups to scale their operations, reach underserved communities, and build the foundation for a more inclusive digital economy.