Mark Elliott
Mastercard has expanded its acceptance network across Africa by 45 per cent in 2025, a milestone that is drawing millions of consumers and small businesses into the continent’s rapidly growing digital economy.
The growth highlights the pace at which digital payments, technology and innovation are transforming Africa, achieving in a short period gains that would traditionally have taken several years.
The surge comes in a year marked by new market entries, increased investment, product innovation and a stronger on-the-ground presence, reinforcing Mastercard’s position as a key enabler of Africa’s projected US$1.5 trillion digital payments market by 2030.
As part of its expansion drive, Mastercard has opened new offices in Ghana, Uganda and Mauritius over the past two years, with plans to enter additional African markets in 2026. The company has also increased its workforce on the continent by nearly 20 per cent, strengthening local expertise and supporting the co-creation of payment solutions tailored to the needs of African consumers, merchants and communities.
Alongside its physical footprint, Mastercard has continued to invest in digital infrastructure to improve trust, safety and convenience in both online and in-person transactions.
These investments include upgrades in tokenisation, enhanced digital identity capabilities and improvements in virtual card technology, all aimed at strengthening secure and seamless payment experiences.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), widely regarded as the backbone of African economies, remain a central focus of Mastercard’s strategy.
With consumer spending expected to grow across key markets, including Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. demand for digital payment solutions has accelerated.
For SMEs, these tools are increasingly essential to meeting modern business needs, enabling them to pay and receive payments efficiently, access credit, build financial resilience and operate more securely in a digital-first economy.
To support this segment, Mastercard has rolled out a range of digital tools, including tap-on-phone solutions, the Mastercard Payment Gateway System for e-commerce transactions, QR payment options such as pay-by-link and QR-on-card, point-of-sale solutions, and business payment control capabilities that support virtual card issuance.
The company is also strengthening Africa’s SME ecosystem through Pan-African partnerships designed to facilitate cross-border payments, expand access to credit and digitise marketplaces.
Driven by collaborations with governments, fast-moving consumer goods companies and telecommunications firms, Mastercard has launched 15 new SME-focused programmes across the continent over the past 18 months.
Commenting on the progress, Mark Elliott, Division President for Africa at 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.
“Our collaborations across Africa will continue to connect more people and businesses to the financial system, helping to drive greater financial inclusion and economic opportunity as we work towards a US$1.5 trillion digital economy by 2030,” he stated.
A Business Desk Report