Visa is committed to supporting the digital transformation of payments in West Africa and enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive through enhanced digital connectivity. As part of this commitment, Visa organized "Visa Meet Banks and Fintech" in Dakar on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. This meeting with Senegalese banks and fintechs brought together key players in the country's digital payments ecosystem.

Objective: "To accelerate innovation and the development of digital payments in Senegal"

Visa Meet Banks and Fintech is part of Visa's commitment to supporting the digital transformation of payments in West Africa. The meeting highlighted developments in the sector within a Senegalese market experiencing rapid financial innovation.

The objective was to create a framework for exchange, reflection and collaboration between the various actors in the sector in order to accelerate innovation and the development of digital payments in Senegal.

This meeting also provided an opportunity for Visa to showcase its latest innovations, payment solutions, and vision for the development of digital financial services. Discussions highlighted the collaborations established with banks, fintechs, and other stakeholders to promote financial inclusion and the adoption of innovative payment solutions.

"The challenge is no longer simply to provide access to an account or a means of payment."

In this capacity, the Vice President General Manager for Francophone and Lusophone West and Central Africa of the Visa Group, Mr. Ismahill Diaby, discussed the opportunities and challenges of the sector.

“The opportunities are there. The consumers are there. The technologies are there. The investments are there. And the real question is simple: are we able to transform this opportunity into growth for our institutions and for our economies?” he stressed.

He adds: “That is precisely the reason for our presence here today. We are living through a pivotal moment for payments in Africa, particularly in Senegal. For a long time, our discussions have focused on financial inclusion. Today, we need to talk more about economic inclusion.”

According to Mr. Diaby, the challenge is no longer just to provide access to an account or a means of payment, but to enable every citizen, every trader, every SME and every administration to fully participate in the digital economy.

In this regard, the Vice President General Manager for Francophone and Lusophone West and Central Africa of the Visa Group believes that Senegal now has exceptional assets.

“A young and connected population, one of the most dynamic fintech ecosystems on the continent, banks that invest and innovate, and public authorities and regulators committed to modernizing the financial sector. Yet, despite this progress, a significant portion of transactions still circulate in cash. And that is where our greatest collective opportunity lies. Our main competitor is not another bank. Our main competitor is not another fintech. Our main competitor remains cash,” explained Ismahill Diaby.

For him, every cash transaction represents an opportunity for digitalization that has not yet been seized.

"At Visa, we are convinced that the next phase of growth rests on three priorities: simplicity, acceptance and adoption," he said.

Senegal: a market with strong potential

Visa's Country Director for Senegal, Mali, Cape Verde, Guinea and Niger, Ms. Sandra Gayibor, presented the market outlook and highlighted Visa's digital solutions designed to accelerate digital payments in Senegal.

According to her, the priorities are to develop partnerships, offer more innovative solutions, strengthen financial education and place security at the heart of activities.

In conclusion, Ms. Gayibor invited the participants to "build together a common ambition: to make Senegal a benchmark market for digital payments in West Africa."

A global leader in digital payments, present in more than 200 countries and territories

As a reminder, Visa is a global leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government bodies in more than 200 countries and territories.

Its mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payment network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.