Middle East’s financial landscape is poised for both continuity and transformation in 2025. While traditional banking metrics signal stability, FinTech is reshaping how financial services are delivered, reflecting a sector where innovation and resilience coexist. Fitch Ratings’ latest Middle East Banks Outlook 2025 paints a ‘neutral’ picture for the region’s banking sector. Credit growth is…
PaySky and Yalla Super App have been nominated for multiple prestigious awards at the MENA Fintech Association 2024 Awards, with winners to be announced during the Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2024 (ADFW). PaySky has been shortlisted in four categories: Fintech of the Year, Best Payments Solution, Best Innovative Payment Technology, and Best Merchant Solution, while…
Francophone-focused fintech startup HUB2, which has built a seamless, secure platform designed to unify national and cross-border financial services across diverse payment methods, has raised a EUR8 million (US$8.4 million) Series A round of funding to help it scale across the region. Founded in 2019 by Ashley Gaüzère, who was joined as co-CEO by Jean-Rémi…
Rwanda has recently unveiled a five-year fintech strategy, with the goal of developing a fintech ecosystem to position the country as a regional financial center. According to the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Innovation, the plan aims to establish Rwanda as the preferred location for African fintech companies and investments, as well as…
One of the top qualifiers from the second edition of the “FinTech Got Talent” competition, organized by “FinTech Egypt”—an initiative by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)—has secured first place at the “Arab FinTech Challenge” for the second consecutive year. The competition took place in Dubai as part of the “GITEX North Star 2024” exhibition….
Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), emphasized its commitment to accelerating digital transformation in Egypt’s non-banking financial sector. Speaking at the Cairo ICT Exhibition and Conference, Mohamed Farid, Chairperson of FRA highlighted the authority’s efforts. The authority’s main goal is to create a supportive regulatory environment for fintech innovation. Farid announced the launch of the FRA’s…
Visa is injecting fresh funding into four startups that graduated from the first batch of its Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program. The investments highlight Visa’s dedication to driving digital innovation within Africa, according to a Wednesday (Nov. 6) news release emailed to PYMNTS. In doing so, the payments giant aims to foster the development of…
Global payment technology leader, Mastercard, has announced the expansion of its Product Express platform to include FinTechs in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and additional markets across Latin America. The move follows a successful regional rollout earlier in Latin America and aims to enable FinTechs to launch card programmes with enhanced speed and…
Rwanda has unveiled an ambitious five-year FinTech strategy (2024-2029) aimed at positioning the country as a regional hub for financial services while advancing financial inclusion. The plan seeks to strengthen Rwanda’s FinTech ecosystem by leveraging technology to drive economic growth and socio-economic transformation. While the global FinTech sector promotes financial inclusion by improving access to…
Africa-based fintech startup, Yellow Card, has secured USD 33 million in venture capital funding from Blockchain Capital and other investors. This funding highlights the role of cryptocurrencies in transforming finance in emerging markets and facilitating capital movement in regions with underdeveloped banking systems. Despite its growth, Yellow Card faces challenges as four North African countries…
