IPT Africa, a Mauritian fintech focused on cross-border payment solutions and treasury services that specialise in facilitating payments, intends to expand its footprint across the continent's high-growth markets by capitalising on unmet demand for dependable payments infrastructure.
The start-up facilitates international payments for corporations, payroll providers, non-governmental organisations, and financial institutions, particularly in emerging markets.
It has set its sights on Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Egypt, adding to its portfolio of over 40 African countries, offering both payment and collection solutions.
This comes as analysis by Startup Blink, a global start-up ecosystem map and research centre, noted that the Mauritius start-up landscape has witnessed major growth in recent years, emerging as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems in Africa.
In the case of IPT Africa, CEO and founder Mark O'Sullivan revealed the company's expansion plans to ITWeb Africa while discussing the fintech's recent selection to participate in Visa Accelerator Program Africa, an initiative designed to help growth-stage start-ups accelerate their businesses and scale their solutions.
The start-up is the first fintech from Mauritius to be accepted into the coveted program. He went on to explain that Mauritius' fintech and payments landscape is among the well-regulated in Africa.
O’Sullivan goes on explain that the island’s financial services sector is highly regarded, saying: “In contrast, many African markets are large, high-volume, but fragmented and underbanked.
"This unique position (conducting business) in Mauritius allows us to operate from a stable, trusted jurisdiction while focusing our growth strategy on solving liquidity, speed, and compliance challenges in the more complex African markets.”
The IPT founder added: “While we already have a broad footprint, we are deepening our presence in high-growth economies such as Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Egypt. These markets have strong GDP growth, increasing cross-border trade, and untapped demand for reliable payment infrastructure.”
He went on to say that Mauritius' government encourages and promotes innovation through its financial institutions.
“Mauritius has a progressive regulatory environment that supports innovation while maintaining global compliance standards. The Financial Services Commission and Bank of Mauritius have shown openness to fintech innovation, but there’s always room to move faster in creating frameworks that match the pace of global digital finance,” said O’Sullivan.
Additionally, he said: “Mauritius offers a stable, well-regulated, and internationally trusted base for scaling into Africa. The combination of strong legal frameworks, a bilingual workforce, and strategic geographic positioning makes it an ideal springboard for investors who want both security and access to high-growth African markets.”
With regards to the Visa Accelerator Program selection, he is optimistic, saying regardless of the outcome, the opportunity strengthens IPT Africa’s network, validates its vision, and gives the fintech direct access to mentorship, partners, and potential integrations.
“It accelerates our roadmap, opens new markets, and positions IPT Africa as a continental leader in cross-border payments—something that will benefit us long after the program ends.”
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