Building Global Payment Infrastructure in Africa: Solving Local Problems at Global Scale

Building Global Payment Infrastructure in Africa: Solving Local Problems at Global Scale by Adewale Afolabi – CTO and Co-founder, Pesa at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2026.

Key Highlights:

• Despite advances, African cross-border trade remains hampered by currency volatility, regulatory fragmentation, and infrastructural inefficiencies.
• Instant settlement of payments (within minutes) is critical to unlocking trade potential and avoiding significant revenue loss.
• PESA’s solution centers on liquidity provision, automated compliance, and simplifying integration across fragmented markets.
• The company’s vision extends beyond Africa, connecting the continent to global payment systems and enabling a truly borderless financial ecosystem.
• Trade is framed as a fundamental prerequisite for peace and economic prosperity in Africa.
• Collaboration with existing continental initiatives (like AU’s PAPS) is planned, but PESA focuses on bridging Africa internally and externally through technology.

From keynotes to dynamic panel discussions, the summit explored groundbreaking topics across four flagship tracks: the Africa Money & DeFi Summit, Africa Climate Tech & Investment Summit, Africa Startup Summit, and Africa AI & Digital Summit. Attendees immersed themselves in the latest trends, shared ideas, and discovered cutting-edge innovations that are redefining Africa’s tech landscape.

But it wasn’t just about the talks – networking buzzed with energy, workshops sparked creativity, and exhibitions showcased the region’s tech solutions.

Africa Tech Summit Nairobi 2026 celebrated its 8th edition on February 11th and 12th at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. Bringing together leading industry players the summit explored the latest trends and insights in technology and business across Africa and beyond.