Mastercard hosted its inaugural Africa Edge Summit 2025, a landmark event that convened influential leaders from across Africa’s payments ecosystem to explore how collaboration and innovation can accelerate the continent’s digital transformation. Led by Mark Elliott, Division President for Africa at Mastercard, the summit focused on building the foundational pillars of infrastructure, trust, and interoperability that will underpin Africa’s fast-growing digital economy—projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030.
The forum gathered senior executives from banks, fintechs, telcos, regulators, and technology firms, sparking dialogue on the future of payments in Africa. Discussions centered around advancing low-cost digital payment acceptance, enhancing interoperability across systems, and improving security at scale. With internet penetration on the continent expected to grow by 20% annually, participants highlighted that secure and seamless digital payment systems are essential for unlocking new opportunities in trade, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion.
During the event, Mastercard showcased groundbreaking innovations driving the evolution of digital commerce. The first-ever Agent Pay transaction in the EEMEA region was executed live, marking a step forward in enabling more autonomous and accessible payment experiences. Mastercard also unveiled the Merchant Cloud—a next-generation platform that integrates payments, AI, and cybersecurity, empowering merchants to manage omnichannel businesses with greater agility and confidence.
Leaders at the summit emphasized the importance of payment immediacy and liquidity for small businesses. Panelists noted that same-day settlements can strengthen SME cash flows, reduce borrowing needs, and foster faster reinvestment. Ling Hai, President of APEMEA at Mastercard, underscored the need for greater public-private collaboration to ensure innovation benefits all market participants, calling for secure, interoperable, and inclusive payment systems across borders and devices.
The summit concluded with insights into how human adaptability will define leadership in the AI era. Futurist John Sanei emphasized emotional intelligence as a critical skill for navigating digital disruption, while Mastercard’s collaboration with Smile ID showcased AI-driven identity verification tools combating synthetic identities and deepfakes. Highlighting regional leadership, Shehryar Ali, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa, noted that with 91% of Kenyan SMEs already using digital payments, East Africa remains a model for digital innovation on the continent.
