Sharikat Mubasher: Visa, the global digital payments leader, announced the participation of 22 startups from 12 countries in the fourth cohort of the Visa Africa Accelerator, a 12-week intensive program designed to help startups fast-track their growth and impact.

In a statement released today, Visa announced the opening of applications for the fifth cohort, inviting fintech companies with a minimum viable product (MVP) or a market-ready solution based in Africa to apply before August 15.

Cohort 4 startups aim to address challenges in Africa’s fintech sector and promote financial inclusion and digital growth by offering solutions in Small and Medium Business (SMB) digitization, lending, cross-border payments, payroll, business-to-business (B2B) payments, AI-powered payments, social commerce, climate insurance, and neo-banking.

The Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator provides Africa-focused startups with mentorship, tailored training, networking, and access to the funding and resources they need to scale in the fintech sector.

Leila Serhan, SVP and General Manager for North Africa, Levant, and Pakistan at Visa, emphasized Visa’s commitment to fostering innovation and promoting access and inclusion within Africa's financial ecosystem.

“As digital transformation accelerates across the continent, we are pleased to invite applications for Cohort 5 of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator, in alignment with our mission to support emerging start-ups in advancing their innovative solutions. We are also proud to introduce the participants of Cohort 4, whose diverse initiatives are set to deliver meaningful benefits to individuals, merchants, and businesses,” Serhan said.

Moreover, the accelerator program will conclude with an in-person Demo Day, where startups pitch their innovations to key ecosystem players, funding partners, angel investors, and venture capitalists.