AXIAN, a pan-African infrastructure and services group active across five sectors including telecom and digital finance, has announced the rebranding of its fintech cluster from Axian Open Innovation & Fintech to AXIAN Digibank & Fintech. This marks a strategic evolution from a mobile-money operator into a comprehensive digital banking ecosystem designed to serve individuals and businesses across Africa.
The new identity reflects AXIAN’s ambition to go beyond payments and address the growing demand for broader financial services among individuals and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—needs that mobile money alone cannot fully meet. According to World Bank data, access to banking services in Africa has surged in recent years, driven largely by mobile money and digital banking platforms.
Why the Shift?
African consumers and SMEs increasingly expect more than wallet-based transfers. They want credit, savings, insurance, and other bank-grade services. AXIAN believes its new structure provides the foundation to deliver these products and compete in a market where expectations are rapidly evolving.
The cluster consolidates AXIAN’s financial services operations, including MVola and Mixx, its flagship fintech products that enable money transfers, merchant payments, and short-term credit across Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Togo, and Senegal. Under the new framework, AXIAN plans to integrate these services more deeply and expand into long-term financial solutions such as credit and savings, insurance, investments, and cross-border transactions.
Erwan Gelebart, CEO of AXIAN Digibank & Fintech, stated;
With AXIAN Digibank & Fintech, we are entering a new chapter—one where mobile money evolves into full digital banking. This transformation is about scaling impact and giving millions of Africans affordable access to the financial tools they need to grow, thrive, and shape tomorrow’s economy.
Governance and Expertise
To support this transition, AXIAN has appointed a new board featuring global digital banking leaders, including former N26 executive Georg Hauer, mobile-money pioneer Brad Jones, and former Madagascar central bank governor Henri Rabarijohn. Gelebart emphasized that this diversity of experience is critical for disciplined innovation and responsible governance as AXIAN scales into more sophisticated, capital-intensive services.
Capital and Partnerships
While AXIAN did not disclose whether new capital backs the transition, it confirmed active pursuit of partnerships to accelerate growth. The company’s revenue mix currently comes from transaction and payment fees alongside financial services.
SMEs at the Core
SMEs remain central to AXIAN’s strategy. The company already serves nearly 500,000 merchants monthly and aims to reach millions by 2030 through restocking credit, improved payment terms, and cross-border settlement tools. AXIAN sees cash-based operations as its biggest competitor and believes structured financing can unlock SME expansion and job creation.
Future Roadmap
AXIAN plans to introduce longer-tenor loans, insurance, investments, and eventually mortgages—products that remain scarce in its operating markets. It acknowledges regulatory and technical challenges, particularly around issuing higher-ticket loans digitally and managing risk across borders, but says automation and AI-driven underwriting will be key to scaling responsibly.
