The persistent financing gap facing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is increasingly reshaping Africa’s fintech landscape, with digital financial service providers expanding beyond consumer lending to develop credit solutions aimed at supporting business growth and economic productivity.
The shift comes as governments, development finance institutions and industry stakeholders intensify calls for greater access to productive credit for small businesses, widely regarded as the backbone of African economies but among the least served by formal financial institutions.
Providing fresh evidence of the trend, global AI fintech company Optasia has launched its first merchant lending proposition as part of a broader expansion strategy across emerging markets, signalling a move towards financing business growth while diversifying beyond traditional consumer-focused digital lending.
In its interim trading update for the six months ended June 30, 2026, the company disclosed that it had “successfully launched its first merchant lending proposition, which will be rolled out across its existing footprint,” alongside new market deployments in Gabon and South Sudan.
The initiative comes as development finance institutions continue to highlight inadequate access to finance as one of the biggest obstacles to MSME growth.
