{"id":9516,"date":"2026-06-15T09:03:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T09:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/verypay.africa\/?p=9516"},"modified":"2026-06-15T09:27:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T09:27:22","slug":"the-state-of-african-smes-and-the-urgent-case-for-digital-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/verypay.africa\/fr\/the-state-of-african-smes-and-the-urgent-case-for-digital-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of African SMEs and the Urgent Case for Digital Inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TwoSmall and medium enterprises are the backbone of Africa’s economy. They employ the majority of the working population, fill supply chains, and power local communities. Yet millions of them are being left behind by systems that were never designed to serve them. The data is stark, and the window to act is narrowing.<\/p>\n

Africa’s Connectivity Gap Is an SME Crisis<\/h3>\n

According to the GSMA Mobile Economy Africa 2025 report<\/a>, mobile technologies generated $220 billion \u2014 7.7% of Africa’s GDP \u2014 in 2024. That number is projected to hit $270 billion by 2030. And yet, while 416 million people now use mobile internet on the continent, nearly 75% of Africa’s population remains unconnected. More troubling still: 960 million people live within coverage areas but are not using mobile internet due to cost barriers, limited digital literacy, or lack of relevant content.<\/p>\n

For SMEs, this connectivity gap is not an abstract statistic. It translates directly into lost revenue, invisibility to lenders, and exclusion from the digital economy.<\/p>\n

Digital Payments Are Unlocking SME Growth But Access Remains Uneven<\/h3>\n

\"FarmerThe momentum around digital payments is real. Africa processed 64 billion instant payment transactions worth nearly $2 trillion in 2024, according to the AfricaNenda SIIPS 2025 report<\/a>, with 36 live instant payment systems now operating across 31 countries. The World Bank has further confirmed that receiving digital payments directly boosts SME access to credit \u2014 because payment inflows give lenders the transaction data they need to extend financing, particularly to the smallest, least visible businesses.<\/p>\n

The problem is that too many merchants still can’t access these systems. Many lack smartphones, stable internet, or the financial literacy to navigate digital tools. A merchant generating consistent revenue but operating entirely in cash remains invisible to the formal financial system.<\/p>\n

The 60% Usage Gap Is a Design Failure, Not Just an Access Problem<\/h3>\n

The GSMA identifies a 60% usage gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, people who live within mobile coverage but face barriers to actually getting online. High device costs, unaffordable data, and limited local-language content are keeping SMEs analogue in an increasingly digital economy.<\/p>\n

This is not primarily a coverage problem. It is a design problem. Most fintech solutions are built for users who are already connected, already banked, and already comfortable with technology. That describes a minority of African merchants. Building for real conditions \u2014 offline capability, USSD fallback, simple interfaces \u2014 is not a niche choice. It is the only way to make inclusion meaningful.<\/p>\n

VeryPay Is Built for This Reality<\/h3>\n

\"Payment\u00c0 Tr\u00e8s Payer<\/a>, we have taken a different approach. Our contactless payment infrastructure is designed from the ground up for African operating conditions; including offline functionality for merchants in areas with unreliable connectivity. Whether it is a school canteen in Uganda, a market vendor in Senegal, or a community retailer in Zambia, VeryPay enables secure digital transactions without demanding perfect infrastructure.<\/p>\n

We believe the future of African commerce is cashless, connected, and locally designed. But that future only arrives if the tools serving SMEs are built around the constraints they actually face \u2014 not the ones that are convenient to ignore.<\/p>\n

The Time to Act Is Now<\/h3>\n

Africa’s digital economy is accelerating. Governments are rolling out national AI strategies. Instant payment systems are expanding. Mobile infrastructure is improving. The opportunity is enormous, but so is the risk of leaving millions of SMEs behind while that growth happens around them.<\/p>\n

Digital inclusion is not a charity project. It is an economic imperative. And it starts with infrastructure that works for every merchant, not just the ones already holding a smartphone with a data plan.<\/p>\n

Ready to bring your business or institution into the digital economy? Explore VeryPay’s solutions<\/a> and see how we’re building cashless infrastructure for Africa’s real world.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of Africa’s economy. 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