Global Financial Card Company Visa has pointed out that its Africa strategy will be premised on building strong partnerships with start-ups across the continent. To this end, Visa is prioritizing growth in Africa, and partnering with startups is central to its strategy. This became obvious in 2019 after the global financial services giant entered a series of collaborations on the continent, but Visa confirmed it in their 2020 Investor Day presentation. According to company sources, while this helps promote the company’s efforts to help African start-ups, it also help the start-ups access cutting edge relationship and imbibe the best of global best practices.
On the company’s annual call, participants mentioned Africa 28 times and featured African startups prominently in the accompanying deck. Visa’s president for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), Andrew Torre, detailed the region’s payment potential and his company’s plans to tap it. “We’re partnering with non-conventional players to realize this potential — fintech, neobanks and digital wallets — to reach the one billion consumer opportunity,” he said.
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Visa’s head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures for Africa, Otto Williams, has been out front, traveling the continent and engaging fintech founders. Located in Cape Town, Visa’s group general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Aida Diarra, oversees the company’s operations in 48 countries. The company has a long track record working with the region’s large banking entities, but that’s shifted to smaller ventures.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry