Afriex has entered a new phase of its international growth through a collaboration with Visa that brings instant cross-border transfers to more than 160 markets. The partnership centers on Afriex’s integration of Visa Direct via its banking partner, enabling customers to move money across borders in near real time. With this move, the fintech is positioning itself as a more competitive player in the global remittance and business payments space.
Expanding Global Payment Reach
Through the integration with Visa Direct, Afriex users can send funds directly to eligible Visa accounts across a network that reaches billions of endpoints worldwide. This significantly widens the platform’s addressable market and improves the reliability of transfers for both personal and commercial use. By relying on Visa’s infrastructure, Afriex gains scale, settlement efficiency, and added trust among users who require predictable cross-border flows.
How the Integration Works
Visa Direct acts as the underlying rails for the new service, connecting Afriex’s platform to Visa’s extensive network of financial institutions and cardholders. When a user initiates a transfer on the Afriex app, the payment can be routed to a qualifying Visa account, where funds are made available almost instantly. This setup reduces intermediary steps that traditionally slowed international transfers and often introduced uncertainty over timing and fees.
Remittances and Financial Inclusion
The collaboration comes at a time when remittances are playing an increasingly critical role in household finances and broader economic resilience. World Bank data shows that remittance flows to low and middle income countries reached 669 billion dollars in 2023, highlighting how important these transfers are for education, healthcare, and basic consumption. Faster, more transparent payment channels can therefore have direct social and economic impact, especially in regions where formal financial access is still limited.
Benefits for Families and Businesses
For individuals sending money to relatives, the ability to move funds in real time can be the difference between meeting urgent expenses and facing financial strain. Afriex and Visa say the new capability is designed to improve transparency on costs and delivery times, addressing longstanding consumer pain points with traditional remittance services. Businesses transacting across borders can also benefit from quicker settlement, better cash flow visibility, and reduced operational friction.
Afriex’s Strategic Vision
Afriex frames the partnership as a milestone in its strategy to make international payments more accessible and affordable regardless of geography. The company emphasizes a technology-driven model that combines competitive pricing, streamlined foreign exchange flows, and robust compliance with security standards. By partnering with Visa, Afriex signals that it intends to deepen its role in connecting emerging markets to the global financial system.
Market Positioning in Emerging Economies
Emerging markets, where remittance inflows are often highest, stand to gain from improved speed and reliability in cross-border transfers. In many of these countries, users still contend with slow settlement, unpredictable fees, and fragmented service providers. The Afriex and Visa Direct integration aims to close part of this gap by offering a more unified channel for sending and receiving funds internationally.
With the Visa Direct integration now live on Afriex’s mobile application, users can already access the enhanced cross-border payment features. The launch underscores how partnerships between fintech platforms and major payment networks are reshaping the economics and experience of moving money globally. If Afriex executes on its vision, the collaboration could strengthen financial inclusion, support small businesses, and make remittances more efficient for millions of users worldwide.