Senegal and VISA collaborate to drive digital payment revolution

The Minister of Digital Affairs Alioune Sall has held a high-level talks with a VISA delegation led by Ismahill Diaby, Vice-President for Francophone and Portuguese-speaking West and Central Africa. The meeting marked a pivotal step in implementing Senegal's ambitious New Deal for Technology (NewDealTechnologique) initiative. 

As a global payments leader operating in Senegal since 2001, VISA committed to expanding its local footprint through five key initiatives: deploying digital payment infrastructure to modernize government services, increasing Visa-accepting merchant points, promoting contactless/mobile payments, enhancing financial literacy, and collaborating with Senegalese fintech startups to develop market-specific solutions. 

"The partnership with VISA directly supports our vision to transform Senegal into a regional digital innovation center," stated Minister Sall. The agreement establishes a joint working group to fast-track priority projects, with pilot programs to be identified imminently. 

This collaboration aligns with Senegal's dual objectives of boosting financial sovereignty while reducing economic informality. By leveraging VISA's global expertise, the government aims to increase fiscal transparency, modernize citizen-state financial interactions, and create an enabling environment for homegrown digital finance solutions. 

With VISA's enhanced commitment, Senegal moves closer to realizing its ambition of becoming a benchmark for secure, innovative digital payments in Francophone Africa.

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye