The 2026 3i Africa Summit in Accra has been a launchpad for the continent’s digital finance revolution, connecting financial technology (fintech) companies with investors, consumers and other value chain players.

The three-day programme enabled a vibrant array of homegrown fintech companies, virtual asset providers, and financial market innovators to showcase their solutions and form partnerships beyond the summit.

From crypto exchanges built by Ghanaians and other African innovators, fixed income investment platforms bridging Africa to global capital markets, to digital lenders serving market women and informal traders, the summit’s exhibition floor became a microcosm of the continent’s rapidly maturing fintech ecosystem.

Many exhibitors that the Ghana News Agency engaged with at the summit noted that the fair gave them the opportunity to project their brand, products and services, connecting with investors, gathering market intelligence, and getting exposed to regulatory and compliance measures.

‎Mr Kwadwo Boakye-Yiadom, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of Mansu Technologies, a virtual asset service provider currently operating within the Bank of Ghana’s regulatory sandbox, lauded the exhibition.

“We have engaged directly with people and businesses about crypto, helping address confusion around crypto. The exhibition served as a platform to educate, build trust, and show that crypto is not foreign-owned,” he said.

“Our goal is to give Ghanaians a reliable place to hold and transact digital assets, built by Ghanaians for Ghanaians,” he said, calling for more education for the public to understand before committing their money into any virtual asset.

He described the Central Bank’s passage of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154) as a landmark development, arguing that tying innovation to regulation ensured that all players in the industry moved forward together.

Mr Boakye-Yiadom said doing so would ensure an orderly and cohesive implementation on regulations, increasing adherence and creating confidence among consumers, which was essential for broader adoption.

Mr Enoch Nana Kweku Ansah, Relationship Manager at One Africa Markets, told the GNA that the exhibition was valuable as it made them engage with partners and other fintech ecosystem players to share ideas.

He stated that the summit conversations provided insights that his company could use to develop both One Africa Markets and the broader industry.

“It’s been great because I’ve been able to meet a lot of the companies that are in this industry. I’ve met a lot of partners, a lot of speakers and picked their brains one or two on things that we can use to develop our company and develop the industry,” he said.

Mr Ansah said Africa was advancing in virtual assets development, investment, and innovation, identifying flexible and sector-sensitive regulation as an enabler of scalability for companies.

He urged regulators to ensure that compliance requirements were tailored to the realities of different sectors and company sizes, while the Government actively backed the industry with public awareness campaigns to build confidence among potential users and investors.

Mr Kwabena Okyere Boamah, the Head of Sales at Fido, said the exhibition was a strong platform for market intelligence, customer outreach, and brand visibility, where people got direct information on fintech innovations and saw what competing brands offered.

On challenges facing the sector, Mr Boamah mentioned compliance pressures, regulatory complexity, and a persistent culture of loan default in parts of the informal sector but lauded the Central Bank’s effort in that regard.

He noted that as an SME-focused company, the Central Bank’s efforts were helping them with loan recovery as its increased active engagement with industry players was creating a structured, well-regulated environment that allowed the space to flourish responsibly and sustainably.

Mr Boamah reiterated the need for financial education targeting informal sector customers through partnership with community agencies.

He recounted that a similar engagement with market woman led to seamless access to loans and proper navigation with their repayment platform.