African payment apps now want to lend to and run your business

The company that takes card and mobile payments for your shop may soon want to lend you money and help run the rest of the business too. African fintech firms are moving beyond payment processing into loans, supplier credit and business tools. In Kenya, NCBA's LOOP BIZ+ already bundles several of these together.

What changed

At Moonshot 2026, executives from Mastercard, Remita and OPay argued that merchants need more than systems that process transactions. They listed cash-flow management, customer insights, fraud reduction, reliable support and staff training. Paystack chief executive Shola Akinlade also described an ambition to address financial needs that go beyond accepting payments.

What it looks like in Kenya

LOOP BIZ+ comes from NCBA's LOOP DFS. It combines payment acceptance, working-capital loans, supplier credit and AI-powered inventory management. Its point-of-sale service takes card, contactless and mobile money payments. A merchant's transaction history can help decide whether that merchant qualifies for credit.

Absa has a related product. Absa Next, introduced in October, brings banking, payments, credit, savings, investments and business finance into one digital interface. People who are not Absa customers can use it too.

Why providers want this

A company that already handles a merchant's payments can build on that relationship. It gives merchants more reasons to stay on its platform. It also gives the provider a closer view of the business, which can support lending decisions.

The numbers show the opportunity. Safaricom said its M-PESA merchant network reached 3.13 million businesses in its 2026 financial year, with transaction value of KSh41.68 trillion. Regulated SACCO assets, which are member-owned savings and credit groups, reached KSh1.21 trillion in 2025.

What to watch

• Fees and terms on any loan offered through a payment platform.
• How the provider uses your sales data, and who else sees it.
• How hard it becomes to leave once payments, credit and stock tracking sit in one place.

Regulators are paying attention. Kenya's proposed National Payment System Bill would widen the Central Bank of Kenya's powers to inspect providers, step in and protect consumers. The material does not say when, or whether, the bill becomes law, and it gives no loan prices for these products.