Top 10 African Fintech Startups Secure $470M in H1 2025 Amid Global Funding Slowdown

Africa’s fintech industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the first half of 2025, attracting significant investment despite a challenging global funding environment. From mobile money operators to API-driven payment platforms, leading startups across the continent secured major deals to expand their operations, diversify their offerings, and deepen financial inclusion efforts.

According to Nairametrics Research, 80 African fintech startups collectively raised over $661 million between January and June 2025, with the top 10 fundraisers alone accounting for more than $470 million. This marks an increase from $431 million in the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence in Africa’s financial technology sector. Ten other startups did not disclose their fundraising amounts, suggesting that the actual total could be even higher.

Senegal, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of fintech capital inflows. The “Big Four” of Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa maintained their long-standing dominance, securing nearly 70% of total funding. West Africa topped the regional leaderboard with $298.5 million (45.1% of total funding), largely fueled by Senegal’s $137 million debt deal and Nigeria’s $112 million—more than double its haul in H1 2024.

North Africa followed closely with $230.8 million in funding, led by Egypt’s impressive $223 million performance. Southern Africa brought in $98.8 million, entirely from South Africa, while East Africa attracted $23.8 million, with Kenya contributing $23.3 million of that figure. These trends underscore the concentration of fintech investments in a few high-performing markets, even as other regions show gradual growth.

Among the standout fundraisers was Egypt’s Khazna, which raised $16 million in a Pre-Series B round backed by prominent investors such as Quona Capital, Speedinvest, and Aljazira Capital. Founded in 2020 as an earned wage access platform, Khazna has grown into a multi-product super app serving over 500,000 active users, achieving break-even profitability, and building a strong payroll lending base. The company plans to use the new funding to scale within Egypt and enter Saudi Arabia, further solidifying its role in promoting financial inclusion across the MENA region.

Source: Nairametrics