The Africa Prosperity Network (APN) highlighted that Africa processed an estimated US$1.43 trillion in mobile money transactions in 2025. This figure represents approximately 66% of the global mobile money transaction value for that year. The APN is now urging African leaders to prioritize continent-wide mobile money interoperability.
This call for action follows the Africa Forward Summit, where strong commitments to digital transformation and artificial intelligence were made. APN believes seamless mobile money systems are crucial for unlocking significant economic benefits. Fragmented payment systems currently limit cross-border trade, remittances, and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Ghana, like many African nations, stands to gain substantially from improved digital financial integration. The country benefits from a growing digital economy. Broader interoperability would ease operations for Ghanaian businesses engaging in cross-border trade. It would also facilitate remittances from the diaspora and attract further investment into the digital finance sector.
The APN states, "Mobile money remains Africa’s most successful digital finance innovation." The network emphasises that a lack of coordinated systems hinders the efficient movement of people, goods, and services across African borders. Global mobile money transactions exceeded US$2 trillion in 2025, doubling in just four years. Africa accounts for around 1.2 billion registered mobile money accounts, more than half of all global accounts. This data underscores Africa's advanced digital financial ecosystem.
African leaders, central banks, and regulators must now work with fintech companies and payment platforms. Their collaboration is essential to create a unified mobile money system. Such a system would enable Africa's 1.5 billion people to buy, sell, and trade freely using their mobile money wallets. This development would significantly boost intra-African trade, logistics, and investment.
Beyond mobile money, APN also advocates for the accelerated implementation of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol. This protocol was adopted in 2024. Many African countries, including Ghana, have yet to fully operationalise it. Practical implementation roadmaps are needed for cross-border e-commerce, digital identity recognition, and harmonised data governance. These steps are vital for the continent's digital economic integration. Ghana's commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) positions it to benefit from such advancements.
The benefits extend to improving essential services like e-health and e-commerce. It will also create jobs and wealth for Africa's fast-growing young population. The APN has pledged support for dialogue, implementation tracking, and private sector engagement. This aims to ensure the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is put into practice urgently. Its success will bring tangible benefits to businesses, women, youth, and underserved communities across the continent.