Mastercard says it has expanded its acceptance network across Africa by 45 per cent in 2025, a milestone that brings millions of consumers and small businesses into the continent’s fast-growing digital economy.
The company said the accelerated progress underscored the advancement of digital payments, technology and innovation in Africa, a transformation that traditionally would have taken several years to accomplish.
According to Mastercard, the surge was driven by new market entries, significant investment, product innovation and an expanded on-ground presence, reinforcing its role in powering Africa’s projected $1.5 trillion digital payments market by 2030.
The firm said it had opened new offices in Ghana, Uganda and Mauritius over the past two years, with further markets set for launch in 2026.
It also grew its employee base by almost 20 per cent across the continent to strengthen local capabilities and co-create solutions tailored to African communities and merchants.
Mastercard explained that alongside footprint expansion, it advanced key digital infrastructure including tokenisation upgrades, digital identity capabilities and virtual card enhancements to bolster trust, safety and convenience across online and in-person payments.
It noted that small and medium enterprises (SMEs), regarded as Africa’s economic backbone, remained a top focus. With consumer spending expected to rise across major markets such as Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, demand for digital tools had surged.
The company said it had launched 15 new SME-focused programmes in the past 18 months, including collaborations in South Africa to drive financial inclusion, Morocco’s first digital marketplace benefiting 2.3 million artisans, and QR-on-Card solutions in Nigeria enabling 1.8 million SMEs and gig workers to accept seamless payments.
Other initiatives included USD cards with Zenith Bank supporting over 50,000 SMEs in cross-border trade, and partnerships in Kenya, Mauritius and Tanzania to empower more than 200,000 SMEs with digital solutions.
Mastercard added that it was using its Community Pass initiative to increase digital access in underserved and rural areas, with a target to register 15 million users in Africa within five years. The initiative has already reached 1.2 million smallholder farmers in Uganda.
Mark Elliott, Division President, Africa, Mastercard, said 2025 had been a defining year for the company on the continent.
“From acceptance growth to new digital capabilities, our focus has been on solutions that bring people and small businesses into the heart of the digital economy,” he said.
He added that collaborations across Africa would continue to connect more people and businesses to the financial system, helping drive greater financial inclusion and economic opportunity.
Mastercard said it expected technologies such as artificial intelligence and agentic commerce to define the next era of commerce, with Africa’s AI market projected to reach 16.5 billion dollars by 2030.
The company pledged to continue advancing financial inclusion, expanding across markets and introducing more locally relevant digital solutions in 2026.
