Africa's Fintech: Local belief changes everything, with Germain Bahri

Why global fintech playbooks break down in Africa: The conversation challenges the assumption that fintech models developed in Silicon Valley or Europe can be applied universally. While the technology stack may be global, Germain Bahri explains that African markets evaluate fintech products through a different lens. In mature markets, innovation often focuses on convenience and experience. In Africa, products are judged on whether they solve structural problems such as access to functional business banking, reliable payments, and basic digital tools for entrepreneurs.

Market maturity reshapes product strategy: Drawing on Germain’s experience building Zazu in South Africa, the discussion highlights how infrastructure gaps fundamentally change execution. In Europe, banking-as-a-service providers and payment processors allow founders to assemble products quickly using existing components. In many African markets, these building blocks are incomplete or fragmented. Licensing is rarely portable, timelines are longer, and fintech companies must often build or co-develop foundational infrastructure alongside partners before scaling can begin.

Trust and regulation come before design: The episode also explores how trust dynamics differ across markets. In Europe, users often adopt neobanks for speed and UX, treating regulation as an afterthought. In African markets, users want to understand regulation first. Who holds the funds, how the product is licensed, and whether the company will exist long term are central to adoption. Regulation becomes part of the product itself, not just a compliance layer.

Execution over visibility: Fundraising and growth further reinforce this difference. Capital is more concentrated elsewhere, expectations have risen post-2021, and local investor validation often becomes a turning point. Visibility, branding, and vanity metrics matter far less than whether the product reliably helps businesses operate and grow.

Why listen:

This episode offers a grounded view of what it actually takes to build fintech in emerging markets. It explains why imported playbooks fail, how trust and infrastructure shape adoption, and what founders must rethink when building products for markets where impact matters more than polish.