Onafriq connects 1.5 billion African wallets, accounts

Onafriq, the continent’s leading digital payments platform, is marking 15 years of innovation and growth by announcing a major achievement: its infrastructure now connects nearly 1 billion mobile money wallets and 500 million bank accounts across Africa

What began as a simple mobile money switch has evolved into a robust, omnichannel network. Onafriq today offers a wide range of services, including cross-border payments, merchant collections, card issuance and processing, agency banking, foreign exchange, and treasury solutions. Its infrastructure enables interoperability across mobile wallets, traditional bank accounts, cards, and offline payment channels—paving the way for a more unified financial ecosystem across Africa.

“We remain fully committed to connecting every individual and business in Africa with each other and the world,” said Dare Okoudjou, founder and CEO of Onafriq. “Fifteen years ago, we set out with a bold ambition: to connect Africa’s mobile money systems and make borders matter less. What we’ve built since then is more than a network—it’s a pan-African infrastructure layer that has evolved in lockstep with the continent’s digital evolution. From mobile money to bank accounts, from remittances to real-time trade—we’ve grown as Africa has grown. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and even more excited about the road ahead.”

From its early days of enabling mobile wallet interoperability, Onafriq has become an essential layer in Africa’s financial services landscape. The network supports everything from peer-to-peer transactions and remittances to merchant services, agency banking, and card solutions.

Currently, Onafriq’s platform connects:

• 961 million registered mobile wallets

• 464 million registered bank accounts

• More than 2,000 cross-border payment corridors

This infrastructure has made it easier for rural populations receiving social benefits, global fintechs entering African markets, and everyday users to access and use digital financial services.

Looking to the future, Onafriq is focusing on building infrastructure that supports localised needs while maintaining the scale of its continent-wide reach. “We are increasingly focused on creating infrastructure with local depth,” said Okoudjou. “A prime example is Nigeria, where we are developing a unique payments stack that combines the strength of our cross-border network with the regulatory and foreign exchange realities of one of Africa’s most dynamic economies. By building infrastructure that reflects local context, we can enable more relevant use cases—moving beyond large numbers of registered mobile money wallets to foster an ecosystem where usage is active, sustained, and impactful.”

In line with its forward-looking approach, Onafriq is exploring blockchain infrastructure and stablecoin solutions to enable near-instant, programmable payments. These innovations are aligned with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and are intended to help the continent leapfrog legacy systems in favour of a mobile-first, real-time digital finance model.

With a strong execution record, an expansive reach, and a deep understanding of African markets, Onafriq continues to invest in infrastructure that supports inclusive growth and economic opportunity—both within nations and across borders.