Nigerian fintech firm Payaza has launched support for Google Pay and Apple Pay on its payments platform, positioning itself to benefit from Africa’s estimated $95 billion yearly diaspora remittance market and the continent’s accelerating shift toward digital wallets.

The rollout, announced this week, allows merchants using Payaza across 21 African markets to accept payments from the more than 1.4 billion users worldwide who rely on the two digital wallets.

Removing Friction for Diaspora Payments

Payaza’s Chief Executive Officer, Seyi Ebenezer, said the decision was driven by a practical challenge facing Africans abroad who want to pay for goods and services back home.

“Africans in the UK, the US, and Canada already live inside these wallets,” Ebenezer said.

“When they try to support businesses at home, settle bills, or send money, traditional checkout processes create friction. This integration removes that barrier.”

Positioned for Africa’s Uneven Wallet Adoption

The move reflects Payaza’s strategic reading of Africa’s diverse digital payments environment.

While Apple Pay usage on the platform is currently dominated by diaspora and international users, due to limited local card issuance in most African countries, Google Pay already operates as a functional domestic payment channel.

Since 2023, holders of Verve and Mastercard cards in Nigeria have been able to link their cards to Google accounts, making Google Pay a practical option for local and cross-border transactions.

This creates a two-track advantage for Payaza:

• Immediate local and international utility through Google Pay
• Early access to diaspora inflows via Apple Pay, ahead of broader local rollout

What the Integration Enables for Merchants

According to Payaza, the wallet integration supports three key merchant use cases:

• Diaspora payments to African-based businesses
• Cross-border sales, such as African brands selling to overseas customers
• Payment readiness for companies planning regional or global expansion

“If a Nigerian hotel or a Kenyan SaaS company cannot accept Apple Pay, that sale is lost,” Ebenezer said. “We are enabling merchants who want to earn foreign currency.”

Growth Driven by Profitability, Not Subsidies

The announcement comes as Payaza continues to stand out in Africa’s fintech landscape through financial discipline rather than venture capital–fuelled growth.

In October 2024, the company fully redeemed ₦20.3 billion ($13.5 million) in commercial paper using internally generated cash, a rare achievement in a sector where many firms depend on external funding. “Profitability doesn’t weaken us; it makes us resilient,” Ebenezer said.

“While others relied on VC subsidies that disappeared when incentives ended, we focused on sustainable unit economics.”

Building a Robust Payments Backbone

Payaza’s self-funded growth has allowed it to invest heavily in what its CEO describes as a “fortress” payments infrastructure.

The company:

• Is the only Visa-certified processor in sub-Saharan Africa
• Holds money services business licences across all 50 U.S. states and Canada
• Operates in 21 countries, with direct partnerships with Visa and Mastercard

Ebenezer said Payaza intentionally avoided early publicity while building its regulatory and technical foundations.

“In payments, early fame usually comes from the wrong reasons, fraud, downtime, or compliance failures,” he said. “We focused on making the infrastructure solid before stepping into the spotlight.”

Regulatory Approvals and Industry Recognition

Founded in 2021, Payaza has earned investment-grade credit ratings from three major rating agencies and was recently shortlisted as a Money20/20 Awards finalist.

In July 2025, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the company to raise an additional ₦20 billion under its commercial paper programme.

Seamless Activation for Existing Merchants

Payaza said merchants already on its platform can access Google Pay and Apple Pay without any new technical integration. The feature is live through the company’s existing API and merchant dashboard.

As global commerce increasingly shifts toward digital wallets, Payaza’s latest move strengthens its role as a payments infrastructure provider for African businesses seeking access to diaspora funds and international markets.