Top Payment Gateways in Africa

A Deep, Practical Guide for Businesses That Want to Scale to Africa

Africa is not one payments market. It is 54 countries, hundreds of regulators, dozens of currencies, and radically different customer behaviors.

That is why choosing a payment gateway in Africa is not a technical decision. It is a growth decision.

This guide goes beyond surface-level features.

We look at infrastructure, scale, risk, payouts, and real-world use cases.

List of top payment gateways in Africa:

1. Dusupay

2. Elemitech

3. Flutterwave

4. Paystack

5. DPO

6. Cinetpay

7. Ozow

8. Pesapal

1. DusuPay

Africa’s Payment Gateway to the World

Coverage: 15+ African countries, 50+ countries globally

Ideal for:  Enterprises, remittance companies, global platforms, fintechs, Forex trading companies, betting companies

DusuPay is built for companies that move money across borders and at volume

This is not a starter gateway. It is payment infrastructure.

DusuPay is trusted by 2,000+ businesses globally and has processed over £800 million in transactions. That level of volume only comes from reliability.

What makes DusuPay different

• True pan-African operations: DusuPay lets businesses collect and pay out across multiple African countries using one integration. Mobile money, banks, and cards are all supported without stitching together providers.

• Africa-to-world connectivity: DusuPay was built to connect African markets to global businesses. Companies can accept international payments and settle across currencies without running separate systems.

• Enterprise-grade APIs: The API supports direct charges, hosted pages, server-to-server transactions, multi-merchant setups, and custom flows. This matters when payments are part of your product, not an afterthought.

• White-label payments: Large businesses keep full brand ownership. Customers never see DusuPay unless you want them to.

• Advanced payout infrastructure: DusuPay Octopus enables instant payouts to mobile money and bank accounts across Africa. This is critical for remittance companies, crypto platforms, and marketplaces.

• Built for compliance, not shortcuts: PCI DSS compliance, AML, KYC, and multi-country regulatory support are baked into the system. This reduces risk when scaling into new African markets.

Payment methods supported

• Mobile money across major African operators

• Visa, Mastercard, Verve

• Local and international bank transfers

• Multi-currency settlement

• Crypto-friendly payout support

Bottom line: If your business is regional or global, handles volume, or plans to scale aggressively in Africa, DusuPay is built for that reality.

2. Elemitech (Elemipay)

Elemipay (Elemitech) is a high risk payment service provider. They focus on serving money remittance, Crypto and the betting ecosystem

Coverage: 10 African countries

Ideal for: Gaming, forex, betting, crypto, high-risk industries

Elemitech exists because most payment gateways do not want high-risk businesses.

Forex, betting, gaming, and crypto companies face constant shutdowns, frozen funds, and blocked settlements. Elemitech was built specifically to solve this.

Elemitech's Strength

• High-risk industry specialization: Elemitech understands risk models for gaming, forex, and betting. This includes transaction monitoring, chargeback control, and regulator expectations.

• Global settlement capability: Businesses can receive funds internationally, not just locally. This is critical for platforms serving global users.

• Advanced risk and fraud controls: Real-time transaction scoring, device fingerprinting, and AI-driven fraud detection tuned for African transaction patterns.

• Strong compliance support: Elemitech actively helps businesses stay compliant across different jurisdictions instead of leaving them to figure it out alone.

Best fit: If your business is considered “high-risk” and keeps getting rejected elsewhere,

Elemitech is one of the few serious options that actually works.

3. Flutterwave

Coverage: 10+ African countries

Flutterwave is one of the most widely used payment gateways on the continent. Its biggest advantage is reach. One integration gives access to many African markets quickly.

Pros

• Wide country coverage across Africa

• Single API for multiple markets

• Strong mobile money and card support

• Accepts international payments

• Good developer documentation

Cons

• Pricing varies widely by country

• Less flexibility for complex enterprise flows

• Disputes and account reviews can be slow at scale

4. Paystack

Coverage: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya

Best for: SaaS, subscriptions, premium digital businesses

Paystack is known for polish and reliability. Backed by Stripe, it focuses heavily on developer experience and recurring billing.

Pros

• Clean API and excellent documentation

• Strong subscription and recurring payment tools

• Fast settlement times

• Strong fraud protection

• High checkout conversion rates

Cons

• Limited African country coverage

• Less suitable for cross-border Africa operations

• Not ideal for high-risk industries

Where Paystack fits best

Subscription-based businesses, SaaS products, and companies focused on quality over geographic scale.

5. DPO Group (DPO Pay)

Coverage: East and Southern Africa

Countries include: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mauritius

Best for: Travel, hospitality, booking platforms, marketplaces

DPO is deeply embedded in the travel and tourism ecosystem in Africa.

Pros

• Excellent multi-currency support

• Built for complex booking flows

• Strong refund and partial payment handling

• Deep travel industry expertise

• Marketplace payment splitting

Cons

• Less flexible outside travel and hospitality

• Integration can feel heavy for small teams

• Not ideal for fast-moving startups

Where DPO fits best

Hotels, airlines, tour operators, online travel agencies, and booking platforms.

6. CinetPay

Coverage: 15+ Francophone African countries

Best for: French-speaking West and Central Africa

CinetPay dominates in markets where language and regulation matter more than global branding.

Pros

• Deep Orange Money integration

• Strong MTN Mobile Money coverage

• Full French-language platform and support

• Strong understanding of WAEMU regulations

• Competitive regional pricing

Cons

• Limited outside Francophone Africa

• Smaller international card footprint

• Less suited for global expansion

Where CinetPay fits best

Businesses targeting Francophone Africa, especially WAEMU markets.

7. Ozow

Coverage: South Africa only

Best for: EFT payments, low-cost transactions

Ozow focuses on one thing and does it well: instant bank-to-bank payments.

Pros

• Instant EFT settlement

• Lower fees than card payments

• No chargebacks

• High trust among South African users

• Simple checkout flow

Cons

• South Africa only

• No mobile money

• Not suitable for cross-border businesses

Where Ozow fits best

South African eCommerce and digital services that want low fees and fast confirmation.

8. PesaPal

Coverage: East Africa

Countries include: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi

Best for: SMEs, startups, first-time online sellers

PesaPal is designed for businesses that want to start accepting payments without complexity.

Pros

• Easy onboarding

• Strong mobile money support

• Simple dashboard

• Payment links and invoicing

• Local customer support

Cons

• Limited advanced features

• Not built for enterprise scale

• Slower settlements in some cases

Where PesaPal fits best

Small businesses and startups in East Africa that want simplicity over power.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best payment gateway in Africa?

There is no universal best.

For enterprise and cross-border scale, DusuPay stands out.

For high-risk industries, Elemitech is one of the strongest options.

Can one payment gateway cover all African countries?

No. Africa is fragmented. The best gateways reduce complexity, not eliminate it. DusuPay comes closest with pan-African infrastructure.

Which gateway is best for payouts to Africa?

DusuPay and elemitech are designed specifically for collections and payouts, including instant mobile money and bank transfers.

Are African payment gateways secure?

Top providers like DusuPay and Elemitech are PCI DSS compliant and operate under strict AML and KYC frameworks.

Why do high-risk businesses get rejected by payment gateways?

Chargebacks, fraud exposure, and regulatory pressure. Gateways like Elemitech exist because they are built to manage that risk.

Should I use more than one gateway?

For large businesses, yes. Multi-gateway setups improve uptime, reduce dependency, and optimize costs.

How to Read These Options Correctly

Many businesses fail because they pick a gateway based on popularity instead of fit.

• If you need scale and global reach, DusuPay leads

• If you are high-risk, Elemitech is built for you

• If you want fast pan-African entry, Flutterwave helps

• If you run subscriptions, Paystack wins

• If you operate in travel, DPO is hard to beat

• If you target Francophone Africa, CinetPay dominates

• If you sell only in South Africa, Ozow is cost-effective

• If you are an SME in East Africa, PesaPal keeps it simple

Payments are not about features. They are about removing friction at scale.