Paysky and MTN Tease Major Fintech Expansion Across Africa’s Digital Landscape

Last updated 15-09-2025

4 min

The MTN Fintech Summit 2025 highlighted Africa's accelerating digital financial advancements.

Paysky showcased innovative payments technology aimed at expanding financial inclusion across Africa and the Middle East.

Their collaboration with MTN could extend MoMo's digital financial services to 21 African markets.

With nearly 300 million subscribers, MTN's platform is integral to many Africans' financial lives.

Upcoming announcements from Paysky and MTN hint at significant fintech developments on the continent.

You know, sometimes the energy at these big fintech summits is absolutely electric — the sort of atmosphere that can make anyone believe Africa’s digital future is coming round the corner a bit quicker than expected. At the recent MTN Fintech Summit 2025 in Johannesburg, this sense of momentum was spot on, with a crowd brimming with regulators, innovators, and global fintech heavyweights all under one roof.

It’s the kind of gathering that has me thinking back to the early days at Arageek, when we used to cheer on the smallest MENA startups tackling giant-sized problems. Now, seeing events of this calibre with everyone from telecom giants to agile fintechs swapping ideas, it’s easy to get chuffed to bits about the continent’s growth prospects.

One of the headline moments came courtesy of Paysky, a name that’s been creating a bit of buzz as a fintech driver across the Middle East and Africa. Invited to showcase what they call “revolutionary” digital payment and infrastructure offerings, Paysky stepped right up, displaying solutions meant to break down the barriers that keep millions out of the financial mainstream. If you’re following the fintech scene, you’ll know this isn’t just about apps or fancy gadgets — it’s about real financial inclusion, enabling people to save, borrow, and do business in ways that were a bit of a faff before.

The summit also shone a light on the growing partnership between Paysky and MTN Group, Africa’s telecom behemoth with fingers in just about every pie when it comes to digital connections. Their joint platform, MoMo from MTN Marketplace, is already up and running in three countries, and apparently, there are plans to roll it out across MTN’s full portfolio — that’s 21 markets, by the way. The scale here is enormous. MTN, with operations centred in Johannesburg, boasts close to 300 million subscribers across Africa, while MoMo alone serves over 60 million active users who rely on it for everything from payments to small loans. That’s not pocket change — it’s the beating heart of financial everyday life, especially in places where formal banking can be thin on the ground.

Paysky’s role can’t be understated, either. Established in 18 different markets and working alongside 10 central banks, they’re pumping out the sort of innovations that power national payment systems and those so-called “super apps” for merchants. Their CEO, Waleed Sadek, summed up the spirit quite well at the summit, noting, “Our solutions are designed to democratize financial services, and our partnership with MTN exemplifies how collaboration between fintech and telecom leaders can accelerate inclusion and economic growth across Africa. This is only the beginning — together, we are building the future of digital finance.” Maybe that’s the marketing hat talking, but honestly, I reckon there’s a kernel of truth in it.

What’s especially interesting — and not to bury the lede here — is that both Paysky and MTN are hinting at a major joint announcement coming soon. If my hunch is right, this could mean even bigger things for fintech innovation and access on the continent. That said, it’s not all plain sailing; expanding fintech across borders is always a bit tricky with regulations and local quirks to navigate. But if these companies manage to pull it off, the knock-on effect for merchants, entrepreneurs, and everyday consumers could be proper game-changing.

So, as the digital economy in Africa gears up for its next chapter, all eyes are on what comes next from these partnerships. Sometimes, at Arageek, we’ve seen how a single bold move can set off waves across an entire sector. If you ask me, this is a space worth watching — and, well… it might even be worth missing a good night’s sleep for, just to catch the latest update.

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