Visa has reiterated its intention to partner with the Democratic Republic of Congo's central bank (BCC) to modernize the country's financial system. In a letter dated November 20, 2025, Visa's Senior Vice President for Central and West Africa, Aminata Kane, informed BCC Governor André Wameso of the commitment on behalf of Visa President Oliver Jenkyn.

According to a note from the BCC, the cooperation will focus on three areas. The first is the creation of the BCC's Financial Innovation Center, intended to position the DRC as a francophone technological and regulatory hub for digital payments, market financial infrastructure, and fintech solutions.

The second area involves strengthening financial inclusion through programs targeting universities and the public administration to accelerate the adoption of modern, secure payment methods. Finally, Visa plans to support investment in Congolese fintechs, particularly those developing digital solutions for financial inclusion.

The two institutions have agreed to set up joint technical teams to finalize an operational roadmap in the coming days. The move follows discussions held on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in October.

The mobile payments market in the DRC is experiencing steady growth. According to the GSMA, the value of transactions is expected to reach $3.85 billion in 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of about 19%.

In September, Visa launched VisaPay, an application that allows consumers to make digital payments easily. At the same time, Visa partnered with Onafriq, a pan-African digital payment network, to connect VisaPay with the country's leading mobile money wallets, including M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Orange Money. This interoperability allows users to fund a Visa account directly from a mobile money platform.

Ronsard Luabeya