Mobile money remains one of Africa's most celebrated technological achievements, a home-grown innovation that transformed financial behaviour, expanded inclusion and created new business models. In many countries it is now so deeply embedded that it rivals cash for everyday transactions. Journalist Yinka Ibukun, speaking at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit 2025 in Johannesburg, recalled trying to book a flight from Accra to Lagos and being offered only two payment options: cash or mobile money. Few technologies have reached such a level of penetration across the continent.
As digital adoption accelerates and consumer expectations shift, the question for policymakers, investors and businesses is what comes next. A panel of technology leaders at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit explored this theme, offering insights into the innovations that could define Africa's next decade and how they might be tailored to its development priorities.
Africa's digital momentumLexi, General Partner at Northken22, a venture fund backed by 35 global tech founders who each operate billion-dollar companies, argued that Africa's greatest attraction lies not only in its young and expanding population but in its market inefficiencies. Fragmented systems and untapped sectors, she said, represent fertile ground for innovation. As digital infrastructure improves, longstanding frictions in payments, identity, logistics and verification are becoming solvable at scale. Investors are increasingly motivated by the possibility of building Africa's next generation of globally relevant companies.