Onafriq appoints former PPRO chief Simon Black as board chair

Onafriq, a pan-African digital payments network, has named Simon Black as chair of the board of its UK holding company following his appointment as an independent non-executive director.

Black previously served as chief executive of PPRO, a Germany-based payments infrastructure provider, from 2015 to 2023. Under his leadership, the company expanded internationally, surpassing $113 million in annual revenue. Before PPRO, he was CEO of Sage Pay, a UK-based payments firm focused on small and medium-sized businesses.

With a presence in over 40 African markets, Onafriq is at the center of the continent’s fragmented payments ecosystem. Black’s experience running global fintech businesses is expected to support Onafriq’s efforts to expand cross-border services and deepen its position in connecting digital wallets, banks, and financial platforms across Africa.

“Simon’s appointment comes at a transformative moment in Onafriq’s journey,” said Dare Okoudjou, founder and CEO of Onafriq. “To fulfil our mission of making borders matter less across Africa, we must build upon our strong foundations to create an even more resilient and innovative business.”

Onafriq — formerly known as MFS Africa — positions itself as a “network of networks,” integrating banks, mobile wallets, and fintech apps to facilitate interoperability and cross-border transactions across the continent.

It claims to connect more than 500 million mobile wallets and 200 million bank accounts across 42 African markets. The company plays a growing role in corridors such as intra-African trade payments, diaspora remittances, and merchant payments, which are expanding in volume and complexity as digital commerce gains ground.

Black is expected to provide strategic oversight to the company’s executive leadership and help guide its cross-border growth ambitions.

“Simon’s exceptional track record of scaling fintech leaders and navigating complexity makes him the ideal Chair to guide this next phase,” Okoudjou said. “His expertise will be instrumental as we strengthen our position as Africa’s payments infrastructure backbone and accelerate financial inclusion throughout the continent.”

Despite raising over $200 million in capital from investors including AfricInvest, Goodwell, and Admaius Capital, Onafriq operates in a challenging environment. Currency instability, uneven regulation, and high transaction costs make scaling cross-border payments across African markets difficult.

Black’s appointment could bring board-level experience to help the startup navigate cross-border scaling challenges.