Kolawole: Business Growth Depends on Workable Payment Solutions

In an interview with <named speaker>Emma Okonji</named speaker>, <named speaker>Oluwatomisin Kolawole</named speaker>, CEO of Reeple, discussed how the company is addressing cross-border payment challenges across Africa and driving business growth. Reeple's platform enables businesses to send and receive payments across 50+ countries more quickly, affordably, and reliably, removing one of the biggest obstacles that African SMEs, freelancers, and growing companies face.

The platform supports various use cases, including remittances, payouts, and recurring cross-border transactions, helping businesses hire better talent, serve global clients, expand into new markets, and operate with less risk around settlement delays or failed transactions.

The decision to expand from a Nigeria-focused payment solution to a broader cross-border infrastructure was driven by customer demand and the recognition that Africa's payment issues are not limited to the country's borders. Companies operating across Africa, North America, Europe, and other international markets needed a unified solution to handle payments in different countries, leading to the expansion into cross-border infrastructure.

Trust is a critical concern in cross-border payments, as businesses rely on payment providers for payroll, supplier relationships, customer commitments, and reputation. Reeple addresses trust through compliance, transparency, partnerships, and execution. The company has secured 12 banking and payment partners, ensuring stronger corridor coverage and a more resilient payout infrastructure.

Reeple operates with a compliance-led mindset, including customer verification, transaction monitoring, partner due diligence, and clear internal controls. Additionally, the company's Canadian payment license bolsters its regulatory foundation as it expands into African corridors.

Poor infrastructure in African countries limits trade, investment, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion, hindering the continent's digital economy. The implications of fragmented payment systems are far-reaching, affecting SMEs, freelancers, and companies that struggle to pay suppliers, receive international earnings, and expand into new markets.

To overcome these challenges, collaboration among fintechs, banks, regulators, and infrastructure providers is essential. Building interoperable systems that are faster, safer, and more inclusive is crucial for unlocking Africa's digital economy potential.

The funding environment for payment solutions in Africa has become more disciplined, with investors focusing on fundamentals such as revenue, margins, compliance, customer retention, and sustainable growth. For Reeple, this disciplined approach aligns with its strategy of building around transaction volume, real customers, and infrastructure that tackles an urgent market problem.

Despite the slowdown in funding, Reeple remains focused on delivering value to its customers and expanding its cross-border payment infrastructure to support African businesses in their growth journey.