Global payments giant Mastercard said it expanded its acceptance network across Africa by 45 percent in 2025, a sharp acceleration that is bringing millions more consumers and small businesses into the continent’s rapidly growing digital economy.
The company said the expansion reflects a surge in digital payments adoption driven by new market entries, investment in infrastructure and closer collaboration with governments, telecoms firms and businesses, as Africa positions itself to tap an estimated US$1.5 trillion digital payments opportunity by 2030.
Mastercard said the scale of growth achieved in 2025 would traditionally have taken several years, highlighting the pace at which digital technology is reshaping how Africans pay, trade and do business.
“Africa’s digital economy is advancing faster than ever before,” the company said, describing the network expansion as a key step toward improving financial inclusion and access to secure payment systems across the continent.
The acceptance network growth which refers to the number of merchants, platforms and locations that accept Mastercard payments has been supported by a broader push to deepen the company’s footprint in Africa. Over the past two years, Mastercard has opened new offices in Ghana, Uganda and Mauritius, with further market launches planned for 2026.
It has also expanded its workforce on the continent by nearly 20 percent, a move the company said is aimed at strengthening local expertise and enabling the co-creation of products tailored to African consumers and merchants.
Alongside physical expansion, Mastercard said it has invested heavily in digital infrastructure to support safer and more convenient payments. This includes upgrades to tokenisation technology, enhancements to digital identity capabilities and expanded use of virtual cards for both consumers and businesses.
Such investments are intended to build trust in digital transactions at a time when online commerce and mobile payments are growing rapidly, but concerns over fraud and cybersecurity remain high.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for the majority of jobs and economic activity across Africa, are at the centre of Mastercard’s strategy. The company said rising consumer spending across key markets including Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa is driving demand for digital payment tools that allow businesses to operate more efficiently.
Digital payments are increasingly essential for African SMEs to pay suppliers, receive customer payments, access credit and manage cash flow, Mastercard said, particularly as more commerce moves online and across borders.
To meet these needs, the company has rolled out a range of tools aimed at smaller businesses, including tap-on-phone technology that turns smartphones into payment terminals, the Mastercard Payment Gateway System for e-commerce transactions, and QR-based payment solutions that allow customers to pay via links or cards.
Other offerings include point-of-sale systems and business payment control features that enable companies to issue and manage virtual cards, helping to improve security and expense management.
Mastercard said it has launched 15 new SME-focused programmes across Africa in the past 18 months, many developed in partnership with governments, fast-moving consumer goods companies and telecoms operators. These initiatives aim to support cross-border payments, expand access to credit and digitise marketplaces that have traditionally operated in cash.
The company said such collaborations are critical in a continent where fragmented payment systems and regulatory differences have long constrained regional trade.
Africa’s digital payments market is expected to expand rapidly over the rest of the decade, driven by population growth, urbanisation, rising smartphone penetration and efforts by governments to formalise economies and widen the tax base.
While mobile money services pioneered by African telecoms firms continue to dominate many markets, global payment companies such as Mastercard are increasingly positioning themselves as partners in building interoperable systems that link cards, wallets and bank accounts.
Analysts say Mastercard’s growing presence reflects intensifying competition among global and regional players seeking a foothold in Africa’s fast-growing payments space, as well as confidence in the continent’s long-term growth prospects.
However, challenges remain, including uneven infrastructure, regulatory complexity and the need to ensure digital inclusion extends beyond major cities to rural and low-income communities.
Mastercard said its strategy is focused on long-term investment and local partnerships to address those gaps, arguing that expanding acceptance networks and supporting SMEs are key to unlocking Africa’s digital economy.
“With the right infrastructure, partnerships and innovation,” the company said, “Africa’s digital payments ecosystem can become a powerful engine for inclusive growth.”
