MasterCard is rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) security tools across African payment networks following new partnerships with non-profit infrastructure providers Mojaloop Foundation and AfricaNenda Foundation.
According to the company, the agreements aim to curb rising digital financial fraud as account-to-account (A2A) transfers grow across the continent.
Africa’s instant payments sector has expanded rapidly, with 36 live systems across 31 countries processing more than 64 billion transactions valued at nearly $2 trillion in 2024.
However, that growth has brought heightened exposure to financial crime, with roughly 15% of African adults encountering scams daily, according to MasterCard.
Under the new arrangement with Mojaloop, which develops open-source software used by central banks and regional payment switches, MasterCard will explore integrating its A2A Protect software directly into Mojaloop’s core infrastructure.
The system uses AI to run real-time risk scoring, track “mule” accounts used to move stolen money and establish formal dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The move aims to bring card-style consumer protections to direct bank-to-bank transfers, which historically lack standardised chargeback or dispute options when fraudulent transactions occur.
Through its separate deal with AfricaNenda, MasterCard will provide technical advice to regional regulators and policymakers to assist governments in setting up secure, interoperable payment systems.
ITWeb Africa has previously reported on AfricaNenda’s work to expand inclusive instant-payment systems across the continent, including its goal of bringing more than 400 million financially excluded adults into digital payments by 2030.
The growth of instant-payment systems has also increased the focus on fraud prevention. ITWeb Africa also reported in 2024 that Tazama, an open-source real-time fraud detection platform, was being evaluated by organisations including BankservAfrica, with West African and COMESA countries among its early adopters.
“Trust is the foundation of every successful digital economy,” said Johan Gerber, executive vice president of payment networks at MasterCard. “As account-to-account payments accelerate across Africa, consumers and businesses need the confidence that their money is protected and supported when something goes wrong.”
Jean Bosco Iyacu, CEO of the Mojaloop Foundation, said adding advanced fraud detection tools alongside existing open-source frameworks such as Tazama will help drive adoption in underbanked communities where mistrust of digital channels remains a barrier.
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