(1 December 2025 – Africa) Wise is entering major African markets as it seeks to tap into one of the fastest-growing regions for cross border payments and remittances.
Wise has received its first regulatory licence in Africa, securing conditional approval from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to operate as a Category 2 Authorised Dealer in FX with Limited Authority (ADLA). The move aims to reduce costs and friction for businesses and retail customers moving money intra-Africa and internationally.
As a G20 member, South Africa has committed to the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-Border Payments, which aims to make international payments more accessible, transparent, faster, and cheaper by 2027.
“This expansion signals growing fintech confidence in Africa’s digital payments infrastructure and long-term growth potential and highlights how global players are prioritizing emerging markets to drive the next wave of user growth” commented Fintech Wrap Up CEO Sam Boboev.
“South Africans are among the most digitally savvy consumers on the continent, yet many still face high costs, poor price transparency, and slow, inconvenient processes when sending money abroad” commented Wise Director of Banking and Expansion LATAM & MEA, Nadia Costanzo.
“Our first regulatory approval in Africa marks a significant step forward to give South Africans access to a faster, cheaper, and more transparent way to send money abroad – and we’re grateful for the Reserve Bank’s collaboration and support throughout the process.”
Wise has now obtained over 70 regulatory licences globally as part of its mission to break new ground in global markets. It received in-principle regulatory approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a payment aggregator earlier this year and last month secured a retail payments licence from the Central Bank of the UAE. Last week, the firm also became the first non-bank to go live on Japan’s Zengin network.