On the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Flutterwave CEO, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, highlighted the company‘s instrumental role in expanding market access for African businesses.
He spoke during a high-profile panel session titled “Connecting the Next Billion Customers” at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion Summit in New York. The summit gathered businesses and government leaders to discuss the role of digital transformation and innovations in harnessing the economic development of emerging markets.
The discussion, which was moderated by Marcus Brauchli, Co-founder and Managing Partner of North Base Media, featured Briana Wilsey, Vice President and General Manager of Global Network Services EMEA, American Express.
Wilsey expressed how strategic partnerships, particularly Flutterwave’s recent collaboration with American Express, reshape Africa’s position in the global digital marketplace. This alliance will enhance payment solutions, making it easier for global enterprises to operate seamlessly in Africa.
Wilsey said, “American Express card members from all over the world are coming to Africa in more and more numbers. Through business, personal, and leisure travel, and so when they arrive, we want them to be able to use their card, and we want to make sure that local businesses benefit from the spending by international customers.”
In his remarks. Agboola stated, “If you have an American Express card right now in New York, you can pay a Nigerian merchant on our platform and enjoy a seamless payment experience. And that expands the market size for an average African enterprise.
“The whole point is to make Africa the hub of payment across the world. We are not focused on the continent alone, we want to make it easy for any company operating anywhere in the world to bring their business to us in Africa.”
The collaboration, which has already integrated American Express Cards into Flutterwave’s payment in Nigeria and will soon be live in other African countries, supports the expansion of Amex’s global card footprint and enhances usability across diverse markets.
Flutterwave’s infrastructure and payment capabilities provide the necessary backbone for global businesses like American Express to connect with African customers. They also enable businesses to unlock new opportunities across the continent, making Flutterwave a critical enabler for business growth.
