A United States (US) multi-national financial services corporation, Visa, has voted $1 billion for investments in Nigeria and other parts of Africa over the next five years to accelerate digital transformation; advance resilient, innovative and inclusive economies across the continent.
The company which announced the deal during the U.S-Africa Business Forum, said the expanded investments demonstrate the company’s long-term commitment to Africa’s growth potential and will help enable greater access to digital payments as an entry point for expanding formal financial services for individuals and merchants.
Visa Chairman/CEO Alfred F Kelly Jr outlined the pledge during the US-Africa Business Forum, alongside the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC. The pledge will further scale Visa’s operations in Africa, and deepen collaboration with strategic partners including governments, financial institutions, mobile network operators, fintechs and merchants.
The investments will also focus on strengthening the payment ecosystem through new innovations and technologies, supporting digitisation of economies, and investing in upskilling, talent development and capacity building.
Kelly, Jr said: “Visa has been investing in Africa for several decades to grow a truly local business, and today our commitment to the continent remains as firm and unwavering as ever. Every day, Visa supports digital commerce and money movement in every country across the continent, and Africa remains central to Visa’s long-term growth plans.
We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners to advance the financial ecosystem, accelerate digitization and to build resilient, innovative, and inclusive economies that will create shared opportunity and further spur Africa’s digital economy.”
In line with Visa’s corporate purpose to be the best way to pay and be paid, these investments will facilitate additional opportunities to expand financial inclusion. Visa, he said, is dedicated to empowering small- and women-led entrepreneurship in Africa through its operations and community programs.
According to Visa, currently, an estimated 500 million people in Africa are without access to formal financial services, less than 50per cent of the adult population made or received digital payments in Africa, and more than 40 million merchants do not accept digital payments.
Senior Vice President, Visa Sub-Saharan Africa, Aida Diarra, said the continent is witnessing accelerated digital transformation. “Africa is experiencing an unprecedented digital acceleration, with a growing number of consumers, merchants and businesses realizing the benefits of secure and convenient digital payments to fuel commerce and money movement. Over the past year Visa has continued growing our investment in Africa, through new offices, new innovations and solutions, and programs that are directly supporting financial inclusion. The investment pledge outlines our long-term commitment to Africa and the work we will do to help advance the financial ecosystem,” Diarra said.