There is a broad consensus among industry leaders that stablecoins are transitioning from niche cryptographic experiments into core financial infrastructure.
Rather than serving as speculative assets, stablecoins are increasingly being used by businesses for cross-border trade, corporate treasury management, payroll, and supplier payments.
This shift is driving a significant surge in practical, real-world use cases, most notably in remittances and B2B payouts, which are expected to dominate the African financial landscape over the next two to three years.
Experts argue that in regions with high remittance costs and volatile currencies, stablecoins are a compelling alternative.
By providing near-instant settlement and lower overheads, these digital assets are becoming vital for the Sub-Saharan market.
This timely insight from industry giants, Visa and Yellow Card, comes as the continent digitises at a breakneck pace, rapidly evolving into a cashless society where digital-first payments are no longer the exception, but the norm.
Discover the new wave of adoption
According to data from Yellow Card, adoption is already deeply embedded in the regional economy.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, stablecoins now account for approximately 43% of total crypto transaction volume.
The company’s own business model has shifted to become 99% stablecoin-driven, a trend reflecting a global environment where annual stablecoin transaction value is estimated at a staggering $15.6 trillion.
Consequently, the African diaspora and local enterprises can expect a new wave of API-driven, embedded payment solutions.
These include instant settlement for complex supply chains and multi-currency wallets where users transact in local denominations while the underlying value is routed via regulated stablecoin rails.
“In 2026, I believe that digital payments in Africa will increasingly run on modern, interoperable rails where stablecoins quietly power faster, cheaper, and more reliable movement of value across borders,” says Mark Mbugua, director of B2B marketing for Yellow Card, in an interview with ITWeb Africa.
“Stablecoin-based infrastructure, AI-enhanced risk tools, and API-first connectivity will sit in the background. This allows banks, fintechs, and businesses to offer instant, dollar-linked payments without exposing the end-user to the inherent complexity of blockchain technology.”
Visa, which operates the world’s largest retail electronic payments network, expects Africa to lead the way in shaping an agile payments ecosystem that balances inclusion with trust.
“By 2026, emerging technologies will take centre stage,” comments Michael Berner, group country manager for Visa, Southern and Eastern Africa.
“Stablecoins are moving from the experimental phase to practical application. We also expect AI-driven ‘agentic commerce’ to gain traction.
“These shifts will be reinforced by secure infrastructure and tokenisation, allowing African merchants—particularly SMEs to compete on a more level playing field.”
Central Banks on high alert
However, this commercial enthusiasm is met with significant caution by state authorities.
African central banks have expressed growing concern over the phenomenon of "digital dollarisation."
In its 2025 Financial Stability Review, the South African Reserve Bank officially categorised stablecoins as an emerging risk to national financial stability.
Governor Lesetja Kganyago has warned that the widespread adoption of US dollar-pegged assets allows users to effectively "manufacture" foreign exchange outside of traditional oversight.
Such a trend could potentially undermine national monetary policy, drain liquidity from traditional commercial banks, and the stability of local currencies such as the Naira and the Shilling.
Despite these sovereign concerns, Mastercard underlines that the momentum behind digital payments is likely unstoppable, with the market expected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.
Gabriël Swanepoel, Southern Africa country manager at Mastercard, suggests that technology is finally democratising access to finance.
“Real-time payments mean instant money movement, which is critical for small businesses maintaining daily cash flow,” says Swanepoel.
“Furthermore, AI improves security and enables financial services for people with little or no formal credit history, an essential factor in African markets where traditional banking infrastructure is often absent.”
Swanepoel said the ultimate success of this transition to a cashless society, where digital-first payments are the norm, depends on the maturation of the legal environment.
Goodbye to one-size-fits-all bans
For Mbugua, regulation is finally moving away from blanket bans toward structured frameworks that recognise stablecoins as legitimate components of the financial system.
“With countries like Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and others progressing licensing, guidelines, and sandbox regimes,” says Mbugua.
“This evolution is already encouraging more institutional participation and long-term investment, but it also raises the bar for compliance, governance, and consumer safeguards.”
Berner concludes that clearer, more supportive regulatory frameworks are the primary requirement for moving innovation from limited pilots to full-scale production.
As these frameworks mature across various jurisdictions, financial institutions will finally be able to deploy cross-border remittances and B2B settlements responsibly.
The goal is to move the industry into a phase of scaled, practical utility, rather than remaining perpetually stuck in "experimentation mode".
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