KEY POINTS
- Africa digital payments expansion anchors AXIAN’s partnership with Mastercard.
- Mixx and MVola apps bring mobile tools to everyday transactions.
- AXIAN strengthens its digital footprint through acquisitions and new investments.
AXIAN Group, the Madagascar conglomerate led by Hassanein Hiridjee, has entered a new partnership with Mastercard that aims to widen access to digital payments across Tanzania, Madagascar, Togo, Comoros and Senegal. The rollout introduces virtual and physical cards linked to AXIAN’s Mixx and MVola platforms, along with merchant services designed to help consumers, small businesses and independent workers send and receive money through their mobile phones. Both companies say the collaboration reflects rising demand for reliable digital finance tools across the region and marks another step in the shift away from cash.
Africa digital payments expansion
Mastercard’s executive vice president for Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Mete Guney, said the partnership aligns with the broader transformation underway across the continent. He said technology is creating new channels that bring people into formal financial systems. Guney added that the deal underscores Mastercard’s commitment to working with companies that are building practical payment solutions and supporting financial inclusion efforts in markets that still depend heavily on informal transactions.
AXIAN is positioning its Mixx and MVola apps as tools for everyday use. The platforms give users direct control over their transactions. Through the app, customers can activate virtual cards, top them up, track payments in real time, check exchange rates, and cancel a transaction on the spot if needed. The companies say the tools are designed to make cross-border and online payments easier for people who have historically managed their finances with cash.
Erwan Gelebart, CEO of AXIAN’s Digibank and Fintech arm, said the group aims to build products that reflect how people work, shop and manage their earnings. He said the partnership gives AXIAN customers the means to transfer money, support online purchases, handle business transactions and run day-to-day financial activity through a mobile app in a safer and more flexible way.
Mastercard partnership and Africa digital payments
AXIAN has been expanding its regional footprint in telecoms, banking, energy and digital services. The group now operates in six African markets and has been investing in infrastructure that supports data movement. According to Bilionaire Africa, under Hiridjee’s leadership, AXIAN bought Wananchi Group for about $63 million, adding fiber and long-haul network capacity that serves companies and government institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The acquisition strengthens AXIAN’s ability to offer cloud services, data solutions and IoT tools to a wider set of clients.
The company also rebranded its fintech operations as Digibank & Fintech, a move that signals its ambition to scale mobile money and digital banking. AXIAN took part in a $3.5 million funding round for Nucleon Security, a France-based company developing AI-driven cybersecurity systems for large enterprises and financial institutions. The investment adds another layer to AXIAN’s digital strategy, which focuses on building services that can function across markets while supporting secure transactions for individuals and businesses.
