The Next Chapter of the Digital Economy: Fintech, Payments & Web3 - Panel Discussion
Africa Tech Summit London 2026 celebrated its landmark 10th edition on May 29th at The London Stock Exchange. Bringing together leading industry players the summit explored the latest trends and insights in technology and business across Africa and beyond. The Next Chapter of the Digital Economy: Fintech, Payments & Web3 Panel session with Shay Hamilton - CEO at Tola Mobile, Sarah Idahosa - Partnership Manager at MANSA, Victor Alade - Co-Founder & CEO at Raenest, Carmelle Cadet - Founder & CEO at EMTECH, Dolapo Omotoso - Head of Growth at MonieWorld by Moniepoint and Jessica Hope - Founder at Wimbart (Moderator). Leading fintech and payments infrastructure experts came together to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s rapidly growing digital economy, discussing everything from cross-border payments and regulatory frameworks to stablecoins, trust, and financial inclusion. The panel examines whether Africa’s financial infrastructure is scaling quickly enough to meet growing demand, highlighting both the continent’s strengths - including widespread mobile money adoption and instant payments - and the barriers that continue to limit seamless cross-border commerce. The discussion also explores the role of stablecoins, blockchain technology, regulatory innovation, and trust in unlocking the next phase of fintech growth across Africa. Highlights include 💡 Africa’s digital economy is growing rapidly, but fragmented payment systems and liquidity challenges continue to slow cross-border transactions. 🔗 Stablecoins and blockchain technology are emerging as powerful tools for reducing settlement times, improving liquidity, and lowering transaction costs. 📜 Regulatory fragmentation remains one of the biggest barriers to scaling fintech businesses across multiple African markets. ⚖️ Countries including Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya are leading the way in developing fintech-friendly regulatory environments and innovation frameworks. 💰 Expanding into new African markets can require significant investment, with licensing, compliance, and operational costs often exceeding $500,000. 🚀 Africa has become a global leader in instant payments, with many countries offering faster payment experiences than developed markets. 🤝 Trust remains the foundation of fintech adoption, driving customer loyalty, regulatory confidence, and access to new financial services. 🏦 Payment histories and transaction data are enabling fintechs to offer credit and financial products without relying on traditional collateral. 🌍 Greater interoperability between local payment systems could unlock seamless cross-border commerce and accelerate economic integration. 🔮 The future of African fintech will depend on balancing innovation, regulation, customer experience, and infrastructure development at scale. From keynotes to dynamic panel discussions, the summit explored topics across the African tech landscape. Visit our website for more details and future events: https://www.africatechsummit.com/ Follow us on social media for the latest updates: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-tech-summit/ • X: https://x.com/AfricaTechSMT • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ats_hq/ • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ats_hq • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricaTechSummitHQ #AfricaTechSummit #AfricaTech #ATSLDN