Interswitch Limited and Visa Inc. on Friday announced a
strategic partnership that will further advance the digital payments ecosystem
across Africa.
As part of the agreement, Visa will acquire a significant
minority equity stake in Interswitch. The investment makes Interswitch one of
the most valuable African FinTech businesses with a valuation of US$1 billion.
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Visa will join globally renowned investors, Helios
Investment Partners, TA Associates and IFC, as shareholders in Interswitch,
alongside Company management.
Founded in 2002, Interswitch disrupted the traditional
cash-based payments value chain in Nigeria by introducing electronic payments
processing and switching services.
Today, Interswitch is a leading player in Nigeria’s
developing financial ecosystem with omnichannel capabilities across the
payments value chain, processing over 500 million transactions per month in May
2019.
The partnership with Visa will create an instant acceptance
network across Africa to benefit consumers and merchants and facilitate greater
connectivity for communities. Both parties will also retain their respective
independent solutions, and Interswitch will retain its scheme neutral strategy.
Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Chief Executive of Interswitch,
said; “Sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest-growing payments market in the world,
with growth driven by a young and dynamic population, rapidly evolving consumer
behaviour, and an increasing desire for payment solutions that can be accepted
across the continent and abroad. I am delighted that Interswitch has formed a
partnership with Visa, with whom we plan to drive the next phase of
transformation in the African payments landscape.”
Andrew Torre, Regional President CEMEA, Visa, said; “Africa
is a priority region for us, and we continually seek strategic partnerships
with local players to further strengthen our leadership position and enhance
the payments ecosystem across the continent.
“This partnership aligns with our global strategy to work
with and invest in innovative partners, and we look forward to working with
Interswitch to provide new consumer and merchant experiences and support the
rapid growth of digital commerce across Africa.”
Babatunde Soyoye, Helios’s co-founder and Managing Partner,
added, “A strategic investment by Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments,
into Interswitch is a substantial endorsement of the Company’s expertise in
African payments.
“As an active investor in leading African payments
businesses, we see tremendous opportunities to digitise payments across the
continent and have worked closely with Interswitch’s management team to build
high quality and scalable platform geared to address some of these
opportunities. We look forward to furthering collaboration with the Company
alongside Visa.”
The transaction is subject to the relevant regulatory approvals and is expected to close by Q1 2020. FT Partners acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Interswitch on this transaction.
Nigerian Guardian