Sixteen months later, on a hot July day in 2026, Egypt's finance minister, Ahmed Kouchouk, returned to a company whose public frustration had once laid bare the country's industrial bureaucracy.
Both recent AfDB commitments were structured as first-loss tranches via the European Commission’s Boost Africa programme—a blended finance move designed to shield private capital from initial losses.
The BCEAO’s instant payments platform launched in late 2025 to link banks and mobile wallets across eight countries. Months later, top players Wave and Orange Money have yet to fully join — latest data suggests they have little urgency.
Sixteen months later, on a hot July day in 2026, Egypt's finance minister, Ahmed Kouchouk, returned to a company whose public frustration had once laid bare the country's industrial bureaucracy.
The new virtual asset rules demand high capital, local custody, and bank-held reserves - creating a moat that traditional lenders are perfectly positioned to fill.