We’re proud to share our partnership with Deriv, now live across eight African markets. The collaboration supports mobile money deposits through a single integration, helping Deriv expand with localisation and reliability built in from day one.
The partnership, launched in 2025, currently supports mobile money deposits across eight African countries, with connectivity to major mobile money operators. Both teams are aligned on expanding the partnership into additional markets over time.
Deriv selected PawaPay to support its African expansion strategy in order to deliver mobile money without sacrificing localisation or reliability as volumes grow.
Since launching with PawaPay, Deriv has seen a measurable increase in mobile money transactions across the live markets. Coordinated launch and education campaigns accelerated adoption, while the underlying reliability of the integration meant fewer failed transactions and more predictable settlement, factors that directly affect whether a payment product succeeds in practice.
As more global platforms invest in long-term growth across Africa, reliable access to local payment methods is becoming foundational rather than optional. Supporting mobile money across multiple markets requires consistent operator connectivity, regulatory alignment, and operational visibility at scale.
PawaPay connects businesses to local payment methods, including mobile money across 20 African markets, handling payment processing, settlement, FX, and reconciliation for global platforms operating at scale.
Through the partnership, Deriv users are able to fund their accounts using mobile money wallets they already use day to day. For platforms operating across African markets, mobile money is a primary way customers transact, and offering it reliably requires local operator connectivity, regulatory alignment, and the ability to manage payments consistently across markets.
PawaPay supports Deriv through a single integration that provides operator connectivity, compliance support, and settlement across the markets live today. This includes hands-on support during periods of network instability, so issues can be addressed before they impact users. The setup is designed to support high-volume payment flows as usage grows.
“Mobile money is already deeply embedded in how people transact across Africa,” said Nikolai Barnwell, CEO at PawaPay. “The real challenge for companies expanding across multiple markets is running it reliably once volumes grow. Our role is to make sure payments remain predictable, so platforms can focus on their customers rather than managing operational detail.”
Derek Swift, Head of Client Funding Facilities at Deriv, said: “Our partnership with PawaPay has been central to Deriv’s expansion across Africa. Their platform has proven reliable in markets where volatility is a real operational risk, their support team resolves issues quickly, and the integration has opened markets where we previously had no viable local payment option.”
This partnership reflects a shared focus on localisation, reliability, and sustainable expansion. With eight markets already live and further rollout planned, both teams remain focused on delivering consistent performance as volumes continue to grow.
Explore how PawaPay supports mobile money integration across African markets.
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