Unlocking Intra-African Trade Through Modern Payment Rails

Unlocking Intra-African Trade Through Modern Payment Rails – panel session with Emmanuel “Babz” Babalola – Chief Commercial Officer, Fincra; Nena Nwachukwu – General Manager Nigeria, Conduit; Carol Ogallo – Head of Lending Business, Choice Bank; and Paschal Okeke – Head of Growth & Trading, CrissCross.

This panel discussion focuses on the challenges and opportunities for unlocking intra-African trade by improving cross-border payment systems and related infrastructure. Despite the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which creates a market of 1.4 billion people, intra-African trade remains below 20%, compared to 50-60% in Asia and Europe. The panelists identify fragmentation in regulatory policies, payment systems, and currency dependencies as key barriers, alongside the absence of interoperable payment rails and regulatory harmonization.

Key Highlights Include:
• Regulatory Fragmentation: Different rules across African countries make it difficult for fintechs and businesses to scale cross-border operations.
• FX & Currency Dependence: Heavy reliance on USD and Euro increases costs and slows intra-African payments.
• Limited Payment Interoperability: Strong domestic payment systems exist, but cross-border connectivity across Africa remains weak.
• Trade Financing Challenges: High payment costs and poor visibility discourage banks from financing intra-African trade.
• Need for Continental Coordination: Initiatives like PAPSS and regulatory passporting are key steps toward a more integrated African financial ecosystem.

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.