London, 1 November 2023– MFS Africa, Africa’s largest digital payments network, is thrilled to unveil its new identity: Onafriq. This rebranding is not just a name change but a reflection of the company’s evolution and its vision for the future.
As Dare Okoudjou, founder and CEO, puts it: “The name MFS Africa, just like an old jacket, was getting a little tight for us as we’ve grown. We’ve expanded beyond just mobile financial services, becoming a true omni-channel platform across the continent and beyond. As we embark on this next phase of our journey, we wanted a name that reflects our aspiration of wiring up the whole continent into one network of networks with pathways from and to every African and every African business.”
The decision to rebrand comes after significant growth and several acquisitions, including the recent acquisition of GTP, which expanded the company’s reach to the US market. “The trademark MFS actually belongs to another company in the US, and our ability to use it outside of Africa was becoming difficult,” noted Dare. “With this new name, we can bring everybody together under one brand and identity.
The inspiration behind the new name, Onafriq, stems from the fusion of several powerful words: “Ona”, the Yoruba word for pathways and the French word for Africa, Afrique – plus a nod to IQ, signalling MFS Africa’s commitment to being the smartest game in African fintech.
Onafriq also calls to mind the idea of One Africa, an interconnected borderless continent where access unlocks greater potential.
Okoudjou further added: “From the get-go, my goal was to build a payment infrastructure that touches every corner of Africa and that lasts for over 100 years. My hope is that we get to do that and that we get to make borders truly matter less.”
In today’s fragmented payment landscape, the complexity surrounding cross-border transactions often impedes the free flow of money and inhibits international trade. Onafriq, aims to break down these barriers, paving the way for economic growth and empowerment.
As the group embarks on this exciting chapter, we invite partners, stakeholders, and the entire African community to join us on this path of innovation, collaboration, and progress to make borders matter less for millions of Africans on the continent.
Editors’ note: What does Onafriq mean?
Inspired by the words “ona” (Yoruba for pathway, road, canal or passage) and “afriq” (derived from “Afrique”, French for Africa, while also cueing our collective knowledge or IQ), the name Onafriq echoes our promise to partners and customers: a continent where new paths and new ways of accessing financial solutions are opened up for the benefit of all. In a fragmented payments landscape, where exclusion and complexity continue to hinder the free flow of transactions and ideas, we provide people access to a single, unobstructed route. One that swiftly and seamlessly connects all others, unlocking the full power of cross-border and cross-platform interoperability for people across our continent and beyond. At the same time, Onafriq calls to mind the idea of One Africa, an interconnected borderless continent where access unlocks greater potential. Overcoming barriers by connecting all Africans to opportunity. To each other. To the global digital economy. To more ways. To better ways. To prosperity.