The Democratic Republic of Congo is stepping into a new digital era as Visa and Onafriq, Africa’s largest payments network, join forces to launch Visa Pay. This strategic partnership introduces a seamless platform that links Visa cards with mobile money wallets, transforming how millions of Congolese access and use financial services. For a market already processing approximately 120 million Visa transactions annually and generating $450 million from the sector, Visa Pay represents both an innovation and a leap forward in payment accessibility.
Through Visa Pay, consumers can now fund mobile wallets via popular platforms such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Orange Money. This development addresses one of the most significant barriers to financial inclusion in the country—convenience and interoperability. By offering smooth and secure access to digital payments, the initiative empowers individuals and businesses to embrace everyday transactions and e-commerce with greater confidence and ease.
According to Sophie Kafuti, General Manager of Visa in the DRC, the move is more than a matter of convenience. She emphasized that connecting Visa Pay to mobile money lays the foundation for digital commerce by creating interoperability that can accelerate the adoption of new payment ecosystems. This positions the DRC to harness the benefits of a rapidly growing mobile economy.
Christian Bwakira, Chief Commercial Officer at Onafriq, echoed this sentiment, noting that the partnership combines Visa’s global reach with Onafriq’s expansive local network to unlock opportunities for innovation and financial inclusion. Onafriq’s API infrastructure already connects over 1 billion mobile wallets and 500 million bank accounts across 43 African markets, giving the partnership unprecedented scalability and reach.
The launch also comes at a time of rapid growth for the DRC’s mobile payments sector. GSMA projects the industry to reach $3.85 billion in transaction value this year, representing a 19% compound annual growth rate. This growth highlights strong demand for digital solutions across multiple sectors, including retail, government services, payroll, and business collections. Visa Pay is therefore entering the market at a pivotal time, aligning with the country’s momentum toward financial digitalization.
Looking ahead, Visa Pay is not limited to the DRC. Kafuti revealed that the platform has ambitions to expand across other African markets where mobile money adoption is high. The goal is to build a system that seamlessly links payments across borders, creating new pathways of convenience, economic opportunity, and financial empowerment. This collaboration signals a transformative moment in Africa’s payments landscape, where global technology and local expertise converge to reshape access and inclusion.
