And just last week Mastercard signed deals with payments fintech Sokin and issuer-processor i2c to expand its presence in the Middle East and Africa. The opportunity: Here’s how the tie-up can help fuel growth for Visa and M-Pesa:. Visa can use M-Pesa to deepen its ties in Africa.

Meta’s facing international growth challenges: Legal inquiries and fines from South Africa and Ireland are the latest hurdles the social media leader must contend with.

Fixed broadband subscriptions are set to jump nearly 50% in the Middle East and Africa, and more than 37% in Latin America, by the end of 2030. These regions are the ones with the most room for growth, as they’ve only recently gained access to fixed broadband.

The continent’s fintechs attracted about $3.3 billion in funding last year as investors recognized the region’s huge growth potential.

The Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Central and Eastern Europe, where Facebook posted double-digit gains in 2020, will all see their growth fall into the low single digits this year.

This decrease slowed to 12.2% last year, though it was steeper in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, digital payment methods are cashing in on the situation, with digital and mobile wallets poised to make up the greatest share of global POS transaction value in 2025, at 39%. More like this:. Report: Small-Business Payment Disruptors.

African fintechs raised nearly $3 billion in 2021—here’s how it’ll fuel the next wave of innovation on the continent.