Recognition follows a year of rapid growth for PawaPay, which recently
surpassed three billion mobile money transactions processed across 20
African markets
July 2026 – PawaPay [2], a leading pan-African payments
infrastructure provider, has been named one of the World’s Top Fintech
Companies 2026 by CNBC and Statista. The recognition follows a year in
which the company surpassed three billion mobile money transactions
while continuing to help businesses access mobile money across 20
African markets through a single integration.
Now in its fourth edition, the World’s Top Fintech Companies list is
compiled by CNBC in partnership with research firm Statista. The ranking
delivers a rigorous, data-driven benchmark of fintech companies across
key fintech segments worldwide, recognising businesses using technology,
innovation, and scalable digital solutions to improve the future of
financial services. For the 2026 edition, more than 3,500 global fintech
companies were assessed, with 500 making the final list.
Nikolai Barnwell, CEO of PawaPay, said: “This recognition is another
sign that African payments infrastructure is earning the global
attention it deserves. Mobile money is one of the world’s most
successful payment systems, with more than $1.4 trillion in transactions
processed across the continent last year, yet many businesses outside
Africa still underestimate both its scale and sophistication.
Businesses want to grow across Africa, not spend their time building and
maintaining payments infrastructure in every market they enter. Our job
is to make that simple through a single platform that businesses can
rely on. It is encouraging to see that approach recognised on a global
stage”
The company serves merchants across sectors including remittance,
transport, digital services and humanitarian aid, with clients such as
GiveDirectly and Deriv relying on mobile money to reach customers across
African markets.
As more global businesses expand across Africa, demand for reliable,
compliant payments infrastructure continues to grow. PawaPay is
continuing to expand its regulated footprint across the continent, with
further licence applications underway to support the next phase of
growth.
