Mastercard Advances AI-Powered Payments with New Tools & Collaborations
Mastercard partners with Stripe, Google, and Ant International to enhance secure agentic transactions. The Mastercard Agent Pay program will be available to all U.S. cardholders with a global rollout to follow.
World Wide Worx, Mastercard Report Predicts R130 Million Surge in SA’s E-Commerce Sector
Online retail in South Africa is expected to exceed R130 billion by the end of 2025. The sector grew by 35% in 2024, reaching R96 billion, representing 8% of total retail sales.
Top 7 Corporate Partners for African Startups
Microsoft offers early-stage support through funding, cloud services, and mentorship via its 4Afrika initiative. Mastercard focuses on growth-stage backing in fintech and e-commerce, emphasizing financial inclusion.
Accion Ventures Secures $61.6 Million Fund to Boost African Fintech Startups Amid Silicon Valley’s Declining Interest
Accion Ventures announced the final close of its new fund at $61.6 million. The investor pool includes Dutch bank FMO, France’s Proparco, and the Ford Foundation.
Stablecoin Settlements Go Live in EEMEA with Mastercard and Circle
Mastercard and Circle have expanded their partnership to enable USDC settlements in EEMEA. This initiative aims to connect blockchain-native assets with traditional commerce infrastructure.
