The third edition of the Africa Money & DeFi Summit West Africa is set to return to Ghana on September 24-25, 2025, bringing together over 500 leaders from across the fintech, Web3, and decentralized finance sectors. As West Africa continues to rise as a digital finance leader, this impactful summit strengthens its reputation as a catalyst for business growth, investment, and partnerships in the region.

The Summit will focus on how modern payment systems and cross-border trade are unlocking new economic opportunities throughout Africa, while digital services and lending platforms contribute to expanding financial inclusion. Stablecoins and Web3 are reshaping value exchange and ownership, with embedded finance making financial tools more accessible than ever. Sessions will also address crucial topics such as regulation and policy, KYC and digital identity to ensure secure digital ecosystems, and the role of fintech and AI in driving smarter, more personalized financial solutions.

Nigeria is at the forefront of global stablecoin adoption, with 25.9 million users and an 11.9% penetration rate. Meanwhile, Ghana is set to implement digital asset regulations by September 2025, with the Central Bank of Ghana also in attendance. West Africa’s leadership in financial transformation is evident, as reported by Yellow Card’s 2025 Report, which highlights Sub-Saharan Africa’s stablecoin adoption rate as the highest globally at 9.3%, with Nigeria ranking second in overall digital asset usage.

Andrew Fassnidge, Director of the Africa Money & DeFi Summit, remarks: “Africa’s financial landscape is evolving rapidly. Stablecoins are now supporting payroll, cross-border transfers, and business operations, driving significant commercial momentum. With mobile-based stablecoin transfers up by 61% and 43% of digital asset transactions involving stablecoins, adoption is accelerating. Innovation in fintech is central to this transformation, spanning embedded finance, lending platforms, digital identity, Web3, mobile money, and digital commerce. This summit gathers the innovators, investors, and platforms turning emerging technologies into scalable business and investment opportunities.”

Applications are now open for the Investment Showcase, highlighting investment-ready African ventures across fintech, blockchain, payments, Web3, and DeFi. Selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch live to investors and ecosystem leaders, potentially securing funding and strategic partnerships. Applications close on August 13, 2025.

Join the industry leaders in Accra on September 24-25, 2025. Early bird tickets are available now at https://africamoneydefisummit.co.

In addition, Mastercard has released a new whitepaper titled Harnessing the Transformative Power of AI in Africa, offering a comprehensive study on the continent’s readiness, opportunities, and roadmap for responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. The whitepaper provides in-depth insights into how AI—if deployed responsibly and inclusively—can unlock transformative outcomes across key African industries, including agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, and finance.

With Africa’s AI market expected to grow from USD 4.5 billion in 2025 to USD 16.5 billion by 2030, according to Statista, the whitepaper emphasizes the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration and investment. It outlines how Africa’s unique demographics, mobile-first infrastructure, and entrepreneurial spirit position the continent as a key player in shaping the future of AI.

Mark Elliott, Division President of Africa at Mastercard, stated: “Africa’s engagement with AI is already transforming lives—not just in labs, but on farms, in clinics, and in classrooms. To unlock its full potential, we need investment in infrastructure, data, talent, and policy. At Mastercard, we believe that responsible, locally rooted AI can drive inclusive growth and connect more people to opportunity.”

The whitepaper outlines the potential impact of AI on digital infrastructure, policy and governance, research and development, local language processing, and investment in Africa. It also explores how AI can accelerate job creation, with up to 230 million digital jobs projected by 2030, and increase access to formal finance through AI-enabled credit scoring and fraud prevention.

Greg Ulrich, Chief AI and Data Officer at Mastercard, said: “AI is only as powerful as the trust behind it. At Mastercard, we’re committed to developing AI that’s responsible, inclusive, and designed to bring value to our customers, partners, and employees. This is not just innovation—it’s innovation with integrity.”

Regional highlights covered in the whitepaper include:

• South Africa: South Africa attracted USD 610 million in AI-focused venture capital in 2023, with total AI investment expected to reach USD 3.7 billion by 2030. With the highest data and infrastructure readiness in Africa, South Africa is establishing itself as a continental leader in AI research and application. The country is home to the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, which offers world-class education, research, and industry news. National plans aim to develop up to 300 AI start-ups and train 5,000 AI professionals by 2030, laying the groundwork for a vibrant homegrown AI ecosystem.
  
• Kenya: An emerging AI innovation hub, Kenya has leveraged its “Silicon Savannah” status to deploy AI securely across various sectors. Platforms such as Tala use mobile data for credit scoring, and Jacaranda Health’s UlizaLlama, an AI-powered chatbot, provides maternal health support in five local languages. The government’s newly launched National AI Strategy (2025–2030) outlines Kenya’s commitment to positioning itself as a regional leader in AI research, development, and commercialization for socioeconomic advancement.
  
• Nigeria: Nigeria ranks second in the number of AI startups in Africa, securing USD 218 million in venture capital investment in 2023. As one of Africa’s most dynamic AI ecosystems, Nigeria uses AI to personalize learning (Rising Academies), provide microfinance via Kudi.ai, and strengthen governance with AI tools for monitoring public fund allocation. With a projected AI market size of USD 1.4 billion by 2025, the government’s proactive approach, alongside growing private-sector innovation, suggests promising growth for AI applications.
  
• Morocco: An emerging AI hub in North Africa, Morocco is advancing AI adoption across sectors such as healthcare, energy, agriculture, and finance. Institutions like Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and DeepEcho are driving local innovation, while the MoroccoAI Annual Conference is shaping the national dialogue on AI’s future. Under its Digital 2030 strategy, Morocco aims to attract USD 1.1 billion in investment and create 240,000 digital jobs by 2030. However, the whitepaper warns that challenges such as data fragmentation, language exclusion, and regulatory inconsistency could widen the digital divide.
  

Harnessing AI’s potential in Africa will be essential for driving financial inclusion and accelerating the continent’s digital and economic growth. Strategic collaborations between governments, fintechs, and global partners will be key to unlocking AI’s full impact.

Mastercard’s whitepaper draws on insights from leading African technologists, policymakers, academics, and entrepreneurs, including interviews with UNESCO, the African Center for Economic Transformation, and fintech leaders across the region.

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