Read this paper to learn how you can protect and grow payment margins through continuous optimisation and intelligent cost control.
In today’s payments landscape, increasing transaction volumes don’t automatically translate into higher profitability. Hidden fee structures, fluctuating interchange, and complex billing processes quietly erode margins over time—often going unnoticed until it’s too late.
What if you could turn that around?
While growth remains a priority for banks and payment providers, maintaining profitability has become the real challenge. This paper explores how financial institutions can shift from reactive, hindsight reporting to proactive, continuous margin control—unlocking measurable gains across the entire payments value chain.
Discover:
How to uncover hidden margin leakage – Identify discrepancies across scheme fees, interchange, billing, and settlement before they impact your bottom line
The impact of always-on margin optimisation – Move beyond static reports to continuous monitoring that adapts to changing cost structures and transaction mix
The value of end-to-end profitability visibility – Connect contracts, pricing, billing, and performance to eliminate inefficiencies and improve decision-making
How to turn insight into execution – Leverage built-in workflows, alerts, and ownership tracking to ensure identified savings are realised
A low-friction path to fast ROI – Start with quick-win scheme fee reviews and scale into a full profitability optimisation model without heavy integration
This strategic guide shows how issuers, acquirers, and financial teams can transform payments profitability without building complex in-house systems or disrupting existing operations. By turning fragmented data into actionable insight and embedding execution into the process, organisations can move from margin erosion to continuous margin maximisation—ensuring growth is not just achieved, but sustained.
Three years ago, we started enza with a simple belief that access to modern digital payments should enable participation not create new barriers.
For all this time, we’ve focused on one thing – making it easier for banks and fintechs to offer reliable, locally relevant digital payments, without rebuilding their core systems or compromising regulatory integrity.
As a result: ✅ Banks can better service their customers, and launch new payment capabilities faster, without long, fragile integration cycles ✅ Merchants can accept digital payments that actually reflect how customers pay locally ✅ Payment complexity is absorbed by infrastructure, not pushed onto operations teams ✅ Compliance and innovation no longer have to pull in opposite directions
We’ve learned that payments only work when they are built for the realities on the ground, which means services that respect: ✅ Local payment schemes and mobile money ecosystems ✅ Regulatory frameworks and supervisory expectations ✅ The operational constraints of banks serving real economies, not demos
Over this period, this belief has shaped every design decision we’ve made, from architecture, to deployment models, to how we partner with regulated institutions.
Looking back, what we’re most proud of is not what we’ve built, but the trust placed in us. ✅ Trust from leading African banks who rely on enza as part of their core capability ✅ Trust from partners who operate in complex, highly regulated environments ✅ Trust from talented and committed professionals who have joined the enza team to share in our mission and passion
As we enter our fourth year, our focus remains unchanged, we will continue to build payment infrastructure that: ✅ Strengthens, rather than bypasses, local financial ecosystems ✅ Enables banks to remain relevant in a rapidly digitising economy ✅ Allows businesses of all sizes to participate fully in digital commerce
The past years have validated our belief. The next phase is about scaling it, carefully, responsibly, and with purpose.
Huge thanks to everyone involved in our journey so far. We’re unbelievably excited about the future!
Reframing SME Banking: Starting with Everyday Payment Activity
SMEs drive much of Africa’s economic activity, but banks have long faced practical constraints in serving them at scale. In 2025 alone, they faced a $310 billion finance gap. But banks often struggle to build a complete picture of SME activity because much of it happens in cash or through channels outside formal systems.
Our new white paper, produced in collaboration with the Lafferty Group, outlines a workable, scalable path forward.
It explores:
Why payment tools are the most effective starting point for SME engagement
How transaction flows reveal the rhythm of a business and reduce uncertainty
What emerging-market examples show about building sustainable SME portfolios
Download the white paper to see how payment flows can anchor a more confident and sustainable approach to SME banking.
The rise of domestic payment systems across Africa signals a fundamental shift in the continent’s financial infrastructure – one that prioritises local needs, national sovereignty, and broader financial inclusion.
For traditional banks, this shift presents a critical strategic question: How can you position your institution to thrive in this evolving landscape?
Our latest thought leadership piece examines:
The drivers behind the growing adoption of domestic payment solutions
How these systems reduce dependency on international networks while keeping more value within local economies
The path toward regional interoperability and what it means for banks
Why partnering with the right payment technology provider is essential for success
The banks that embrace domestic payment solutions today will lead Africa’s financial transformation tomorrow.
Download the article to discover how your bank can navigate this pivotal shift in Africa’s payment landscape.
We’re excited to share that enza group has officially relocated to our new home at Mivida Business Park in New Cairo.
This move marks an important step in our growth journey providing a bigger, more collaborative space where our teams can thrive, host partners, and continue building impactful solutions across Africa.
The new office brings with it not just more room to work, but more room to connect, create, and grow. We look forward to welcoming clients, collaborators, and friends into this new chapter with us.
Come and visit us at 3-1-4, Mivida Business Park, New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
At enza, security is more than compliance; it’s a strategic priority and an integral part of our culture. That’s why enza is the trusted partner to manage/mitigate risk for African banks and fintechs in a world of increased threats.
We help customers build trust with their board, regulators, and clients – our certifications demonstrate enterprise-grade controls providing confidence for stakeholders in their digital transformation strategy.
We provide the highest standards of security and compliance built into our tech stack, so that our customers teams can focus on delivery, not audits.
We embed security into every operation, fostering a proactive mindset and empowering every team member to be a guardian of data.
We’re proud to hold top-tier industry infosec accreditations PCI DSS v4 and ISO 27001.
These aren’t just certifications; they’re testaments to our rigorous commitment to the highest global standards in data protection.
PCI DSS v4 ensures every payment transaction through our solutions is handled with unparalleled security, protecting cardholder data and simplifying your compliance burden.
ISO 27001 signifies our comprehensive approach to information security across our entire organization, demonstrating robust risk management and data protection beyond just payments.
By holding these accreditations and championing a security-first culture, enza removes the complexity of security for customers and builds confidence. We simplify payments and acceptance by building on an unshakeable foundation of trust and protection.
Fintech companies can now embed Mastercard payments directly into their digital solutions using enza’s platform
Mastercard and enza have collaborated to connect fintech companies across Africa to the Mastercard network. This collaboration will enable fintech players to build propositions on the enza platform that serve both consumers and businesses with embedded Mastercard payment solutions capabilities.
According to a report by the European Investment Bank, the number of fintech companies in Africa has nearly tripled since 2020. Many of these innovators focus on embedding payment services into broader solutions that tackle financial access, offering alternatives to legacy systems that often have a high cost to serve.
Fintech companies in Africa will now be able to easily access the full suite of Mastercard services. The collaboration aims to reduce complexity and speed up time to market for emerging players building digital financial solutions across the continent.
“At Mastercard, we are focused on powering the fintech ecosystem by enabling access to our trusted global network. Through our work with enza, fintech innovators in Africa will be able to deploy embedded payment capabilities more efficiently – helping accelerate financial inclusion and the region’s digital transformation,” said Mete Guney, executive vice president, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard.
As part of the agreement, enza will host consumer and merchant accounts, manage integration with Mastercard’s network, and ensure high levels of security and system availability. Fintech companies can configure pre-paid or post-paid accounts, and issue physical or virtual Mastercard cards. For businesses, enza will enable acceptance of Mastercard payments across in-store, online and in-app channels.
“enza is on a mission to make digital payments more accessible and affordable across Africa, helping to build a more financially inclusive continent that is ready and able to compete globally. Our collaboration with Mastercard leverages our existing relationship to more effectively serve the fintech community. Together, we will provide innovators with a platform capability that means they do not need to build this aspect of their proposition and can get to market with greater speed and security,” said Andrew Key, Executive Director, enza.
Read this whitepaper to learn how you can streamline digital payment integration and accelerate market expansion.
Traditionally payment integrations are notoriously problematic: slow implementations, resource-intensive projects, and rigid architectures that struggle to adapt to new requirements.
What if there is a better approach?
Integration is just one of the barriers banks face when enabling e-commerce – but it’s often the most technical and complex to solve. This whitepaper, provides a comprehensive guide for financial institutions looking to overcome these challenges and capture their share of the $361 billion African ecommerce market.
Discover:
• How to slash integration time from months to days – Connect to 450+ payment options through a single integration point, compatible with both legacy and modern systems
• The strategic advantage of intelligent payment routing – Learn how optimized routing increases transaction success rates while reducing processing fees
• The power of centralized payment oversight – Discover how real-time visibility across channels and merchants enhances decision-making and drives operational efficiency
• Future-proof architecture for emerging payment methods – Understand how to stay ahead of innovation without constant re-engineering
This strategic guide shows how banks, fintechs, and merchants can transform their payment capabilities without disrupting existing operations or requiring specialized technical resources. Allowing them to turn payment integration from a technical obstacle into a growth engine, enabling them to rapidly deploy the e-commerce capabilities merchants demand, increase transaction approval rates, and ultimately capturing their share of Africa’s emerging ecommerce market.
enza, a leading innovator in African payment solutions, announced today that it has secured a $6.75 million investment in a seed equity round co-led by Algebra Ventures and Quona Capital. This milestone marks the first external funding for enza and will accelerate the company’s mission to “liberate the world of payments for more inclusive, opportunity-led commerce” across the African continent.
enza’s comprehensive payment solutions empower banks and fintechs to provide seamless, locally relevant payment capabilities, including cards, wallets, and real-time payments. The capital infusion will enable enza to strengthen its presence across key markets in Africa, fostering deeper partnerships, and improving responsiveness to the localized needs of its growing client base.
Founded by payments industry stalwarts, with accomplished careers in both global and African payments, enza is harnessing this market experience, knowledge, and track record to unlock opportunities for its clients in Africa. The business has already demonstrated the ability to tackle local market problems with innovative payment services that can reduce the cost of digital transactions.
“We are thrilled to partner with Algebra Ventures and Quona Capital, who share our vision of the potential to transform financial services in Africa through the digitisation of payments,” said Hany Fekry, CEO of enza. “This investment is a strong endorsement of our team, our market-leading services, and our commitment to empowering banks and fintechs to drive financial inclusion across the continent.”
enza are liberating payments across the African continent with the mission to enable more inclusive, opportunity led commerce. enza empowers African banks, fintechs, and financial institutions with market-leading capabilities and innovation to differentiate themselves in their market. The enza services reduce the cost of transacting, thereby enabling their clients to profitably serve larger target markets and establish the foundations of broader financial services relationships.
Strategic Partnerships for Growth
The partnership with Algebra Ventures and Quona Capital reinforces enza’s goal to address the challenges and opportunities presented by Africa’s fast-growing, digitally connected population. With over 60 million underserved SMEs across the continent and a largely underbanked population, enza is already making a significant impact by enabling financial institutions to differentiate themselves and to profitably attract new customers with market relevant products.
The enza platform provides the foundation for these clients to then cross-sell other financial services products by leveraging the intelligence generated by the underlying data. Existing client use-cases include the enablement of digital payment options such domestic schemes, real-time payments services, mobile money, and BNPL, alongside the international payment schemes, unlocking value for enza’s customers and Consumers and Businesses in multiple African countries.
“enza is exceptionally well-positioned to transform Africa’s payments ecosystem by delivering the essential infrastructure that banks and fintechs require for success,” said Tarek Assaad, Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures. “The enza leadership team have an impressive track record of starting, growing and exiting fintech businesses across the continent. enza was uniquely capable of hitting the ground running as a pan-African payments player from the outset and is experiencing remarkable growth across its product offering. We are delighted to support the team on their exciting journey.”
“Quona is excited to support this experienced team on its journey to have a significant impact driving financial inclusion through seamless access to digital payments for banks, fintechs, and ultimately the SMEs they aim to serve,” added Johan Bosini, partner at Quona Capital.
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About enza
Founded by a team of seasoned payments industry experts, enza is committed to delivering agile, innovative, and secure payment solutions designed specifically for Africa’s unique challenges. With headquarters in the UAE and operations across Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and other key markets, enza is helping banks and fintechs unlock new opportunities for growth and inclusion.
About Algebra Ventures
Algebra Ventures is a tech-focused venture capital firm that partners with bold and resilient founders building transformative companies in Egypt, and across the African continent. Algebra raised its first $54M fund in 2016 and its second $100M fund in 2022 from a diverse investor base including international DFIs, governmental institutions, corporate investors and family offices. Among the most experienced venture investors in the Middle East and Africa, Algebra has backed some of the most notable startups in Egypt that have become category leaders in their markets.
About Quona Capital
Quona is a leading global venture capital firm dedicated to investing in innovative technology companies that drive financial inclusion and economic opportunity in emerging markets. With a focus on Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia, Quona partners with visionary entrepreneurs building scalable solutions for consumers and SMEs. The Quona team brings deep fintech expertise and hands-on experience across both emerging and developed markets, backing businesses that drive financial inclusion while delivering strong financial returns. Learn more at quona.com.
Real-time payments: The key to unlocking Africa’s financial future.
Africa’s banking sector stands at a crossroads. With the rise of mobile money, ecommerce, and fintech innovation, traditional banks are facing increasing pressure to adapt – or risk being left behind.
Real-time payment (RTP) systems offer a transformative solution. From driving financial inclusion to enabling seamless cross-border transactions, RTP is reshaping financial ecosystems across the globe. But what does this mean for Africa, and how can banks harness its potential to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape?
In our latest article, we explore:
How RTP is revolutionising payments in emerging markets like India and Brazil – and what Africa can learn.
The unique opportunities RTP presents for African banks, businesses, and consumers.
Why partnering with the right payment technology provider is essential to overcoming implementation challenges.
Don’t just adapt to the future of payments – lead it.
Download the full article to discover how real-time payments can transform your bank’s role in Africa’s financial future.
We are excited to announce our partnership with Entersekt, a global leader in financial authentication! This collaboration strengthens our commitment to enhancing payment security and fraud prevention, ensuring seamless digital banking experiences.
By integrating Entersekt’s Context Aware™ Authentication into the enza technology suite, we empower banks to combat fraud with advanced, multi-factor authentication including OTP, biometrics, and risk-based authentication all within the 3-D Secure ecosystem.
This partnership enables us to offer banks, issuers, acquirers, and merchants:
Seamless, real-time authentication across multiple channels
A single API for a unified, interoperable security framework
Regulatory compliance with future-proofed fraud prevention
Frictionless user experiences without compromising security
Whether integrated into a comprehensive payments solution or as a standalone service, Entersekt’s authentication technology ensures the highest level of protection against fraud, scaling effortlessly with business needs.
At enza, we’re committed to simplifying payments and fostering financial inclusion across Africa. This partnership is another step in our mission to enable secure, efficient, and inclusive digital commerce.
Let’s shape the future of secure, seamless payments together!
We’re delighted to announce that enza have been selected for Cohort 3 of the Visa Accelerator Program – Africa.
This groundbreaking initiative connects Africa’s brightest minds with experienced mentors, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled investment opportunities.
We are excited to work alongside Visa and the other participants to disrupt the industry, revolutionize finance, and make a positive impact on the ecosystem.
