Payaza reaffirmed its position as one of Africa’s fastest-growing payment gateways at an investor and stakeholder event held today, highlighting its expansion milestones, financial performance, and technology-driven growth strategy. The virtual event gathered Payaza’s leadership team, investors, and partners to review progress, share insights on Africa’s evolving fintech landscape, and unveil the company’s next growth frontiers across Africa, North America, and the Middle East.
Building a Global Payment Powerhouse
From its humble beginnings in 2020 to becoming a fully licensed payment gateway across 50 U.S. states, Canada, and several African countries, Payaza has steadily evolved into a cross-continental fintech player.
CEO Seyi Ebenezer emphasized the company’s core focus on B2B payments, reliability, and compliance, noting that Payaza is “the most TRUSTED payment gateway in Africa, with operations across both Anglophone and Francophone regions.”
He also revealed that Payaza’s technology stack is 100% built in-house, underscoring its commitment to independence and innovation. The company currently holds multiple PSP and e-payment licenses in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Liberia, and boasts eight Visa certifications across its markets.
Financial Growth and a Profit-First Philosophy
Rejecting the traditional venture capital route, Payaza’s leadership emphasized a business model anchored in profitability rather than fundraising hype.
According to Seyi, “We wanted to prove that an African company can run itself profitably and sustainably.”
This approach has resulted in steady, year-on-year growth and healthy margins, positioning Payaza among Africa’s most financially stable fintechs. The company has recorded strong transaction volumes and consistent profitability, driven by its cost-to-income efficiency model and a focus on long-term sustainability. Its commitment to this principle has attracted thousands of merchants across Africa and beyond.
Technology and Efficiency: The Payaza Advantage
Chief Technology Officer Philip Akinyele highlighted Payaza’s cloud-native infrastructure, fully built on AWS and designed for high availability (99.97%) and horizontal scalability. With containerized microservices powered by Docker and Kubernetes, Payaza can process high transaction volumes seamlessly.
This infrastructure enables instant settlement (T+0), a major differentiator in an industry where T+2 or T+3 is standard. “Price war is a race to the bottom,” Seyi said, explaining that Payaza focuses on efficiency rather than undercutting fees. “Our merchants are settled instantly, and that drives loyalty and volume.”
Commitment to Compliance and Security
Payaza’s compliance lead reiterated that the company maintains open and collaborative relationships with regulators such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, ensuring full alignment with policies across jurisdictions. It holds multiple certifications, including PCI DSS, NDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, and works with Deloitte for regular audits.
Its AI-driven fraud detection and transaction monitoring system scans across 17 alternative payment methods and 60 services, with real-time risk scoring, quarantining, and human oversight to maintain zero-compromise security.
Social Responsibility and ESG Vision
Beyond financial metrics, Payaza showcased its commitment to sustainability through initiatives like:
- Payaza Foundation – supporting orphanages and special-needs homes.
- SME Thrive (Ghana) – empowering over 3,000 small businesses with payment tools and digital storefronts.
- Payaza Hackathon & Institute – nurturing young African tech talent.
The company is also the first African fintech undergoing an ESG readiness assessment with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), targeting full compliance with UN SDG goals by 2026.
The Road Ahead: Expansion and Dual Listing
In closing, the leadership team outlined the next phase of Payaza’s growth:
- Expansion into North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)
- Strengthening presence in the Middle East
- Conversion to a Public Limited Company (PLC)
- Dual listing on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and NASDAQ
Chief People Officer Tolulope Atomori summed it up aptly: “As we build Africa’s most trusted payment gateway, we’re also building an assured investment vehicle with guaranteed returns.”
