MDP Takes Center Stage as Payments Enabler Africa Sponsor at Africa Fintech Summit Nairobi 2024
MDP, a leading payments technology provider in the Middle East and Africa, is gearing up to make its mark at the 12th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4-6, 2024. The payments technology pioneer is coming on as Africa’s Payment Enabler Sponsor for the second year running.
This partnership comes as MDP intensifies its efforts to expand across Africa. At the turn of the year, the company appointed ex-Mastercard executive Frank Molla and banking and payments expert Emmanuel Owusu Sarpong-Oduro as managing directors of MDP Africa and MDP Ghana, respectively.
With these appointments, MDP looks to expand its already extensive footprint and impact as a payment infrastructure company. By providing card issuing, acquiring, processing, and digital payment solutions, MDP currently serves over 200 banks and 60 fintech companies in 40+ countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Since its inception about 30 years ago, over 1000 companies have benefited from MDP’s payments infrastructure, touching 300 million lives. For instance, the company has issued more than 340 million cards, with 35 million of those coming in 2023 alone.
Despite already being an accomplished payments infrastructure provider, MDP is highly ambitious and sees initiatives like the Africa Fintech Summit as viable opportunities to achieve key brand and growth objectives. Following its successful outing at last year’s summit, where it forged new connections and partnerships, MDP is returning to the Africa Fintech Summit with a focus on expanding its network and client portfolio at an event that brings Africa’s fintech stakeholders together.
Commenting on MDP’s partnership with the Africa Fintech Summit for AFTSNairobi 2024, Frank Molla, Managing Director of MDP Africa, who will also be speaking at the summit, said, “As a payment enabler sponsor for the second year in a row at AFTS, MDP is thrilled to offer innovative payment services and solutions to the African region, bringing our product suite into action and bridging the gap towards financial inclusion. We’re also looking forward to building new connections and a stronger network in the African region.”
Ahmed Nafie, CEO of MDP, noted, “MDP is proud to be a part of reshaping the financial landscape in Africa, harnessing the transformative power of technology to redefine the future of payments. We’re committed to unlocking new opportunities for economic growth, and we’re eager to share our expertise and knowledge with the global community to create a new era of payment innovation that prioritizes financial inclusion and empowers businesses.”
Zekarias Amsalu, Co-founder of the Africa Fintech Summit, also shared his thoughts on the significance of MDP’s participation: “We’re thrilled to have MDP back for the second year in a row. Their commitment to driving financial inclusion aligns perfectly with our vision to upgrade payment experiences in Africa. We’re proud to have them as part of our community, and we look forward to seeing the impact they will continue to make.”
MDP’s confidence in the summit’s ability to help it achieve its objectives is based on the Africa Fintech Summit’s track record. Since 2018, AFTS has established itself as the biggest Africa-focused forum where fintechs, innovators, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders unite to share ideas, explore opportunities, and drive stronger partnerships to overcome payment and financial inclusion challenges. It has contributed to African startups’ efforts to raise over $125 million, served as the platform for startup and product launches and the introduction of groundbreaking initiatives like the U.S. Government-funded Prosper Africa Tech Trade Alliance, and fostered productive discourse and partnerships between stakeholders.
This year’s edition is set to deliver carefully curated growth-enabling engagements that foster knowledge sharing, networking, and professional and business growth for participants. Taking place from September 4 to 6, 2024, AFTSNairobi 2024 will feature a VIP Dinner, keynote speeches, panel sessions, workshops, the Alpha Expo Pitch Competition, the Excellence in Fintech Award Ceremony, tours of the Kenyan tech ecosystem, and more.
About MDP:
MDP is a payment technology pioneer, providing EMV card production, issuing and acquiring processing, and digital solutions to over 200 banks and 60 fintechs across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. With over 35 years of experience, MDP enables businesses to roll out their financial solutions with its end-to-end payment infrastructure and robust product suite. The company takes pride in accelerating payment experiences through innovative, scalable, and seamless emerging solutions. MDP’s platform enables issuers and acquirers to build their Card, POS, and ATM products, as well as comprehensive digital solutions for next-gen innovators. The company produced over 350 million cards, with over 35 million cards produced & processed over 4 million in 2023. MDP is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, and has an extended footprint in more than 40 countries globally.
About Africa Fintech Summit:
AFTS ( https://africafintechsummit.com ) is the premier global initiative dedicated to the African fintech ecosystem. AFTS is traditionally hosted in Washington, D.C., each April during the World Bank/IFC annual meeting week and in a different African city each November. The summit is being held in a hybrid format, in person in the selected Venue in compliance with COVID-19 protocol and global live virtual delegates.
Supported by an advisory board of thought leaders and fintech pioneers, AFTS is a unique space where innovative ideas are debated, investments mobilized, partnership deals signed, and collaborations formed across sectors and geographies. AFTS is organized in partnership between Washington, D.C. based firms, strategic advisory group, Dedalus Global, and Pan-African consultancy advisory firm, Ibex Frontier.
