AfricaNenda
AfricaNenda Foundation is a Mauritius-registered non-profit founded in 2021 that supports African central banks, regulators, and payment system operators in designing and scaling inclusive instant payment systems through technical advisory, capacity building, and the annual SIIPS report.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AfricaNenda does
AfricaNenda Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2021 and registered in Mauritius as a not-for-profit foundation, with operations distributed across 10 African countries. The organization supports the design, development, and scale-up of inclusive instant payment systems (IIPS) across Africa through three service pillars: institutional capacity building (seconded technical experts and ad hoc advisory), payment system tools (actionable playbooks, trainings, and evidence-based research), and knowledge sharing (convening stakeholders via the Community of Practice and flagship events). Its primary clients are central banks, regulators, payment system operators, regional economic communities, and financial institutions across the continent, with the underlying goal of bringing the 400 million unbanked African adults into formal financial services by 2030. The organization is led by CEO Dr. Robert Ochola and Deputy CEO Akinwale Goodluck.
The organization's flagship knowledge product is the annual State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems in Africa (SIIPS) report, co-produced with the World Bank and UNECA since 2022, which functions as the de facto reference document on African IIPS. AfricaNenda has been the principal technical partner behind Rwanda's eKash (Rwanda National Digital Payment System), an open-source, Mojaloop-powered interoperable platform that connects banks, mobile money providers, microfinance institutions, and merchants for real-time transfers. The upgraded eKash launched in February 2025. Additional products include the DPI Roadmap Playbook, country-specific consumer research spanning markets such as Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Egypt, and the DRC, policy notes, the African IPS Map interactive tool, and the 'Revolutionizing Payments' video series.
AfricaNenda operates on a grant-funded model, with primary support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside GIZ and Access to Finance Rwanda for project-specific work. Strategic partnerships include the African Union Commission (formed 2023), World Bank, UNECA, Cenfri, the Mojaloop Foundation, and direct working relationships with entities such as RSwitch, the National Bank of Rwanda, and the Rwanda Information Society Authority. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with engagement conducted through webinars, conferences (e.g., Inclusive Fintech Forum, G20-related events), SIIPS report launches, and the Community of Practice.
AfricaNenda firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AfricaNenda
- Legal name
- AfricaNenda Foundation
- Website
- https://africanenda.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AfricaNenda Foundation is a Mauritius-registered non-profit founded in 2021 that supports African central banks, regulators, and payment system operators in designing and scaling inclusive instant payment systems through technical advisory, capacity building, and the annual SIIPS report.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AfricaNenda industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Systems Advisory and Financial Inclusion Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)
Keywords
Where AfricaNenda is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
AfricaNenda business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Donor Funding: As a not-for-profit foundation, AfricaNenda operates through grants and donor funding from organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with funding and strategic support also coming from GIZ and Access to Finance Rwanda for specific projects like eKash.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
AfricaNenda product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AfricaNenda Foundation is a non-profit advisory and advocacy organization that supports the design, development, and scale-up of inclusive instant payment systems (IIPS) across Africa. It delivers this through technical advisory (including seconded experts and ad-hoc technical assistance), payment system tools and playbooks, and stakeholder convening for knowledge sharing. Its flagship knowledge product is the annual SIIPS report produced in partnership with the World Bank and UNECA, and its flagship implementation engagement is Rwanda's open-source eKash platform.
Product overview
AfricaNenda Foundation operates as a non-profit advisory and advocacy organization rather than a product company. Its work centers on supporting the design, development, and scale-up of inclusive instant payment systems (IIPS) in Africa through four interconnected service areas: technical advisory with seconded experts and ad hoc assistance, the development of payment system tools and playbooks, and convening stakeholders for knowledge sharing. The organization also produces a portfolio of knowledge products including the annual SIIPS report (produced with World Bank and UNECA since 2022), country-specific consumer research, policy notes, and the DPI Roadmap Playbook. AfricaNenda has been particularly involved in supporting Rwanda's eKash platform, an open-source interoperable instant payment system that connects banks, mobile money providers, and merchants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SIIPS (State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems in Africa): Annual flagship report assessing instant payment systems across Africa for inclusivity, produced with the World Bank and UNECA since 2022.
Products and services
- Technical Advisory Services Providing seconded technical experts and ad hoc technical assistance to pan-African institutions — including central banks, regulators, and payment system operators — to scale digital payments initiatives, including governance design, scheme rules, and system architecture guidance.
- Payment System Tools and Playbooks
- Policy Notes on Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion
- Consumer Research Insights on Instant Payments
- Community of Practice for African Payments Ecosystem
- African IPS Map (Interactive Tool)
- Revolutionizing Payments Video Series (PIX Brazil Case Study)
Quantifiable outcome
- eKash now processes millions of transactions each month in Rwanda, with hundreds of merchants accepting digital payments.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AfricaNenda
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AfricaNenda technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
AfricaNenda partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- World BankcoreThe World Bank partners with AfricaNenda on the annual SIIPS (State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems in Africa) report, providing data analysis, research support, and global development expertise.
- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)coreUNECA co-produces the annual SIIPS report with AfricaNenda and the World Bank, contributing regional economic expertise and supporting the continental financial inclusion agenda.
- African Union CommissioncoreAfricaNenda formed a partnership with the African Union Commission in 2023, bolstering collaborative efforts within the payment ecosystem across the continent.
- CenfricoreCenfri, a research organization, partners with AfricaNenda for the SIIPS research, conducting in-depth industry analysis, expert and stakeholder interviews, detailed case studies, and primary consumer research.
- RSwitch (Rwanda)coreRSwitch is Rwanda's national e-payment switch and the technical lead for eKash. AfricaNenda worked closely with RSwitch to ensure platform and scheme adherence to international best practices for seamless financial transactions.
- National Bank of RwandacoreThe National Bank of Rwanda collaborated with AfricaNenda on eKash governance and system design, providing regulatory oversight and ensuring alignment with national payment system goals.
- Mojaloop FoundationcoreThe eKash platform is powered by Mojaloop's open-source technology, enabling greater local ownership, eliminating vendor dependencies, and allowing for easier scalability and innovation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AfricaNenda competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI): Peabody Award-winning network of central banks and financial regulators working on financial inclusion policy. AFI's membership-based model and policy-focused programming closely mirror AfricaNenda's central bank engagement strategy and convening model.
- BFA Global: Global consulting firm specializing in inclusive finance, digital financial services, and fintech for the poor. BFA Global serves the same client base (financial institutions, donors, governments) and offers overlapping technical advisory and research services to AfricaNenda's segments.
- CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor): World Bank-hosted partnership focused on advancing financial inclusion for poor people. CGAP produces global research and advisory work that parallels SIIPS at the global level, targeting the same audience of central banks, regulators, and donors as AfricaNenda.
- Cenfri: Africa-focused financial sector research organization that is a core SIIPS research partner. Cenfri conducts the underlying industry analysis, stakeholder interviews, and consumer research for SIIPS, making it a direct operational peer in inclusive finance evidence generation.
- UNCDF (UN Capital Development Fund): UN development finance institution that supports public and private finance in LDCs, including financial inclusion work. UNCDF runs parallel digital payments and inclusive finance programming that competes for similar donor funding and government relationships in Africa.
- Mojaloop Foundation: Open-source software foundation that powers the eKash platform AfricaNenda supports. Mojaloop and AfricaNenda operate as tightly coupled organizations addressing the same IIPS agenda — Mojaloop on the technology layer, AfricaNenda on advisory and convening.
- FSD Africa (Financial Sector Deepening Africa): UK-funded development organization that works to reduce poverty by building inclusive financial markets across Africa. FSD Africa operates as a direct peer in market development, advisory, and research across the same set of African countries and donor ecosystem.
- Better Than Cash Alliance: UN-based alliance hosted at UNCDF that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments globally. Operates as a peer advocacy and knowledge-sharing body in the digital payments and financial inclusion space, with overlapping donor and government relationships.
- Caribou Digital: Research and advisory firm focused on digital finance and inclusive growth in emerging markets. Caribou Digital publishes research and convenes stakeholders in the digital payments ecosystem, operating in adjacent but overlapping thematic territory to AfricaNenda's SIIPS work.
Regional players
- GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German federal development agency and one of AfricaNenda's project funders. GIZ runs much broader development programming beyond financial inclusion, but its financial sector portfolio directly competes with and complements AfricaNenda in target African markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AfricaNenda social profiles
Digital presenceAfricaNenda compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
AfricaNenda financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AfricaNenda leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
AfricaNenda funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AfricaNenda M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AfricaNenda
What does AfricaNenda do?
AfricaNenda Foundation is a non-profit advisory and advocacy organization that supports the design, development, and scale-up of inclusive instant payment systems (IIPS) across Africa. It delivers this through technical advisory (including seconded experts and ad-hoc technical assistance), payment system tools and playbooks, and stakeholder convening for knowledge sharing. Its flagship knowledge product is the annual SIIPS report produced in partnership with the World Bank and UNECA, and its flagship implementation engagement is Rwanda's open-source eKash platform.
Is AfricaNenda a public or private company?
AfricaNenda is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AfricaNenda founded?
AfricaNenda was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AfricaNenda based?
AfricaNenda is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does AfricaNenda make money?
One revenue line is on record: grants and Donor Funding.
Who are AfricaNenda's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), BFA Global, CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), Cenfri, UNCDF (UN Capital Development Fund), Mojaloop Foundation, FSD Africa (Financial Sector Deepening Africa), Better Than Cash Alliance and Caribou Digital. GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) is listed as a regional player.
Does AfricaNenda have an API?
No public API is recorded for AfricaNenda.
What industry is AfricaNenda in?
AfricaNenda's product category is Payment Systems Advisory and Financial Inclusion Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADABAO, Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs, with a secondary code of BPADABAF, Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs. Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8742.