Visa Opens Applications for Cohort 6 of Africa Fintech Accelerator After $1.4bn Startup Milestone
Visa is calling on fintech innovators across Africa to apply for the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Cohort 6, with the application window open until May 17, 2026. The announcement arrives at a defining moment for the programme, one that has quietly become one of the most consequential launchpads for financial technology on the continent.
The latest call for applications follows the Cohort 5 Demo Day, held during GITEX Africa in Marrakech, where 18 high-growth fintech startups from 10 African countries showcased their innovations before founders, investors, corporate partners, and industry leaders.It was more than a graduation event, it was a statement of intent.
Since its launch, 104 startups have participated across five cohorts, with the programme now representing a combined valuation of $1.4 billion. That figure, growing with each new cohort, reflects the real-world weight this accelerator carries for African fintech founders navigating competitive and often underserved markets.
The three-month Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator programme offers selected startups access to mentorship, strategic guidance, and Visa’s global network, resources that have helped graduates scale operations, sharpen their products, and break into new markets. The Cohort 5 class alone operated across 28 markets, signalling a clear shift from localised solutions to pan-African platforms.
What sets this programme apart is the ecosystem it continues to build long after demo day. In Morocco, Zazu (Cohort 4) is partnering with Chari (Cohort 1) to launch a neobank for small businesses, utilising issuance capabilities that Visa previously helped Chari develop. Meanwhile, Credable (Cohort 3) is teaming up with Onafriq to deploy digital credit and savings solutions, aiming to expand credit access via card rails across emerging markets using the Visa Flexible Credential. Kredete (Cohort 3) is advancing stablecoin-linked card payments, already live in 11 markets including Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco.
Godfrey Sullivan, Senior Vice President and Head of Product and Solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Visa, noted that surpassing 100 startups supported is evidence of how collaboration can drive scale, expand financial access, and shape the future of digital commerce across the continent.
For African fintech startups looking to accelerate their growth with structured support and global reach, the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Cohort 6 represents a rare and time-sensitive opportunity. Applications close May 17, 2026, and can be submitted via the Visa Accelerator portal.
