Onafriq and Visa launch Visa Pay in DRC for wallet interoperability
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African digital payments network Onafriq said it has formed a strategic partnership with Visa to launch Visa Pay, a cloud-native Payments-as-a-Service platform designed to expand digital financial access across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Announced on Thursday, the partnership enables consumers in the DRC to fund their Visa Pay wallets directly from mobile money channels such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money and Orange Money.
The collaboration, powered by Onafriq’s APIs, enables mobile money collections and disbursements from millions of mobile money wallets across the country, with Visa’s card network serving as a bridge for those wallets, said Sophie Kafuti, GM of Visa in the DRC.
“By connecting Visa Pay to existing mobile money infrastructure, we're not just adding convenience – we're creating the interoperability foundation that will fuel digital commerce adoption across the country,” Kafuti said in a statement.
“This partnership demonstrates how combining Visa's global network reach with Onafriq's deep on-ground presence creates unprecedented possibilities for innovation and financial inclusion across Africa,” said Onafriq chief commercial officer Christian Bwakira.
Onafriq and Visa added that the partnership opens the door for Visa Pay to expand beyond the DRC into other African markets, where mobile money adoption is already high and demand for interoperable, digital-first solutions is accelerating.
According to data from the GSMA, the DRC's mobile payments industry will reach US$3.85 billion in transaction value this year, representing a 19% compound annual growth rate. That includes retail payments, e-commerce, government services, bill payments, payroll disbursements, and business collections.
