The Africa Fintech Summit honoured the continent’s most influential fintech leaders, innovators, and organisations at the Africa Fintech Awards 2026 ceremony, held during the 14th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit in Accra, Ghana from October 8 to 10, 2025.
The awards ceremony, which was held on the second day of the summit of the summit at the Accra International Conference Centre, recognised individuals and companies driving transformational change across Africa’s rapidly maturing fintech ecosystem.
2026 Africa Fintech Awards Winners
Honorary Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award in Africa Fintech — Sitoyo Lopokoiyit MBS, CEO, M-PESA Africa.
(Recognising extraordinary career-long contributions to advancing fintech across the continent.) - Fintech Pioneer in Africa Award — Olugbenga Agboola, founder & CEO, Flutterwave.
(Celebrating pioneering innovation and leadership that has established new standards for African fintech solutions.) - Policy Visionary in Africa Fintech Award — Kwame Oppong, director, Fintech & Innovation, Bank of Ghana.
(Honoring exceptional leadership in creating enabling regulatory frameworks that foster fintech growth.) - Female Technology Pioneer in Africa Award — Ethel Cofie, CEO, EDEL Technology Consulting.
(Recognizing groundbreaking contributions and leadership in advancing technology solutions across Africa.) - Africa Investor Catalyst Award — Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder, Future Africa.
(Celebrating exceptional impact in mobilizing capital and supporting the growth of Africa’s startup ecosystem.) - Fintech Infrastructure Impact Award — Bolaji Akinboro, co-founder, Cellulant.
(Honoring foundational work in building critical infrastructure that enables fintech innovation across the continent.)
Committee-voted competitive awards
The expert selection committee recognized outstanding performance across key categories based on nominations by the public:
- Chief Innovation Officer of the Year — Kwame Oppong.
(Recognising exceptional leadership in driving innovation and technological advancement.) - Best FinTech in West Africa — Fincra. (Celebrating outstanding market impact and solution delivery in the West African region.)
- Best FinTech in East Africa — Pesalink. (Honoring exceptional performance and innovation in the East African fintech landscape.)
- Female FinTech Leader of the Year — Sharon-Rose D Lithur.
Recognising outstanding leadership and impact by a woman leader in Africa’s fintech sector.) - Fintech Rising Star of the Year — AsaanaPay Inc.
(Celebrating an emerging fintech company demonstrating exceptional potential and early-stage impact.) - RegTech of the Year — Analytix Engine.
(Honoring innovation in regulatory technology solutions that enhance compliance and risk management.) - Fintech Influencer of the Year — Fincra Marketing.
(Recognising excellence in thought leadership and community engagement within the fintech ecosystem.) - Best FinTech for Financial Inclusion — Sybrin.
(Celebrating solutions that significantly expand access to financial services for underserved populations.)
The selection process maintained the highest standards of integrity and transparency, with independent oversight provided by an audit partner institution to ensure impartial evaluation and recognition.
The awards ceremony took place against the backdrop of unprecedented international recognition for African fintech companies.
Earlier in 2025, three African fintech leaders with strong AFTS connections—Flutterwave, Moniepoint Group, and Tyme Group—were named among the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2025, alongside global giants like OpenAI, Meta, Amazon, and SpaceX.
Additionally, multiple African fintech companies were recognized among the World’s Top Fintech Companies of 2025 by CNBC, including Interswitch Group, Moniepoint Group, M-KOPA, OPay, PalmPay, Paymob, Yoco, Fawry, and Piggyvest.
These achievements underscore the increasing maturity of Africa’s fintech sector and its growing influence on the global stage.
