Regulation Must Match Operational Reality for Africa’s Payments Growth — Intreensic

By Francisca Anuforo,

Africa’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem requires stronger alignment between regulatory frameworks and operational realities if long-term growth is to remain sustainable, according to payments education and advisory firm, Intreensic.

The firm said the future of digital finance across the continent will increasingly depend not only on innovation and market expansion but also on resilience, operational discipline and deeper collaboration among regulators, fintech firms, financial institutions and infrastructure providers.

The position comes as regulators across Africa tighten oversight of digital financial services amid growing concerns around consumer protection, fraud prevention, financial integrity and cross-border transactions.

In Nigeria, recent reforms by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) affecting foreign exchange transactions, remittance settlements, transaction monitoring and point-of-sale (POS) operations have intensified conversations around the balance between innovation and regulation. Similar policy shifts are also emerging across other African markets as governments seek to strengthen oversight of the digital finance ecosystem.

Despite increasing regulatory scrutiny, Africa’s digital payments sector continues to record strong growth.

According to the 2025 Venture Capital in Africa Report released by the African Private Capital Association (AVCA), the continent attracted $3.9 billion across 506 investment deals, with fintech and payments infrastructure remaining among the most active investment categories.

Nigeria’s digital payment landscape has also continued its rapid expansion. Data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) showed that electronic payment transactions reached ₦1.07 quadrillion in 2024, highlighting the growing centrality of digital transactions to economic activity.

Commenting on the changing landscape, Founder of Intreensic, Nkebet Mesele, said the payments industry is entering a more mature phase where execution capability and operational resilience are becoming just as important as innovation.

“We are seeing stronger regulatory focus across digital finance, which is important for long-term ecosystem stability and trust,” Mesele said.

“At the same time, operators across the ecosystem are managing growing expectations around compliance, infrastructure resilience, fraud management and customer experience. Sustainable growth will depend on how effectively the industry aligns policy objectives with operational and commercial realities.”

Mesele argued that discussions about Africa’s payments ecosystem must now evolve beyond headline growth figures and adoption rates.

“For many years, much of the ecosystem conversation centred on scale and growth. What is becoming equally important now is sustainability — how businesses build resilient operating structures, strengthen execution capability and scale responsibly within increasingly sophisticated regulatory environments,” she said.

According to Intreensic, deeper engagement between regulators and industry players will be essential as digital payments become increasingly embedded in commerce, banking, remittances and financial inclusion initiatives across Africa.

The firm noted that future leaders within the payments ecosystem are likely to be defined not only by transaction growth but also by their ability to maintain operational stability, build resilient infrastructure, adapt to evolving regulations and scale sustainably across multiple African markets.

As digital finance matures across the continent, Intreensic said collaboration, policy alignment and operational readiness will become critical pillars shaping Africa’s next phase of payments innovation.