The deal allows ShipAfrica to plug into Unlimit’s payment network, giving customers access to a wide range of local and international payment options. 

The integration is already live in several countries. Users in Kenya can now complete transactions through Pesalink, M-Pesa, and Airtel Money. 

Tanzania has added M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Mixx, while ShipAfrica customers in Nigeria can pay via bank transfers and cards. Major global card schemes will also be enabled in additional markets.

ShipAfrica’s platform connects African sellers and shoppers with overseas destinations and offers delivery services for individuals and businesses. The company expects the new payment channels to reduce failed transactions and improve access for users who rely on domestic payment systems. 

“Enabling cross-border operations is at the heart of Unlimit’s mission. By integrating Unlimit’s payment platform, we are enabling ShipAfrica to receive payments locally in the markets where our customers are most active. 

“This eliminates the friction of international payment processing, reduces transaction costs, and improves access for consumers who prefer local payment methods,” explains Walter Isoko, CEO, at ShipAfrica.

Unlimit, which launched in 2009, provides payment processing, banking-as-a-service, and other financial services to clients operating across different regions. The company has offices in 17 locations, including London, Singapore, and São Paulo, and employs more than 700 staff.

Africa’s online retail market continues to expand, with revenue expected to reach $61.78 billion by 2030. Rising demand for digital payments has pushed logistics and financial service providers to improve settlement times, reduce operating costs, and support local payment behaviour across borders.

“Unlimit is deeply committed to supporting the new chapter of Africa’s e-commerce growth. Our partnership with ShipAfrica helps businesses scale by giving their customers access to familiar, reliable payment experiences across borders. 

“Together, we’re reducing operational costs, avoiding settlement delays, improving cash flow, and enabling merchants to tap into the full potential of Africa’s fast-growing e-commerce economy,” adds Irene Skrynova, Chief Customer Officer at Unlimit.

Both Unlimit and ShipAfrica say the partnership is aimed at easing trade across regions and supporting businesses that need faster, simpler international transactions.

This strategic move addresses the unique financial landscape of the region, where a significant portion of the population still remains unbanked.

This integration will further Unlimit’s offering for Tanzanian businesses, with their solution enabling access to a comprehensive suite of national, regional and global payment methods. 

It will also provide merchants access to a vast new customer base of M-Pesa’s 60 million, Mixx by Yas’ 20 million and Airtel Money’s 41.5 million users, simplifying transactions and minimising customer churn, while helping to create a smoother and more inclusive payment experience.

Tanzania is quickly emerging as a regional digital payments hub, with the annual transaction value of its mobile money market now exceeding $80 billion.

This shift comes as cash payments become less common and total digital transaction volumes surge, with Unlimit recording a 76% increase between 2023 and 2024.

“Tanzania is one of the fastest-growing economies of the decade, and it’s now entering a new era of digital payments maturity,” said Irene Skrynova, Chief Customer Officer at Unlimit. 

“By continuously expanding our services and integrating dominant local payment methods, we ensure that both banked and unbanked users are fully supported. This positions us to seamlessly enable international brands to enter and scale in this thriving market, while empowering Tanzanian businesses to connect with their target audiences effortlessly.”

The expansion of Unlimit’s services in Tanzania follows their successful launch into the nation in Q2 2024, with the receipt of their Bank of Tanzania licence and the opening of a regional office. 

The integration of these mobile-money services expands Unlimit’s existing Tanzania offerings and underscores its commitment to supporting merchants with a wide range of payment options across Africa. 

These include local and international cards across Africa, such as Visa and Mastercard, and Verve in Nigeria; mobile money solutions such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money in East Africa; USSD payments in Nigeria; as well as bank transfers through all regional banks.

Paradigm Initiative believes that VPNs are a key enabler of human rights online and are a vital defense against censorship.

The stringent ban was announced by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) on October 14, a few days before the international commemoration of Global Encryption Day.

The TCRA cited that the announcement was consistent with Regulation 16(2) of the Electronic and Postal Communications (Online Content) Regulations 2020.

PIN condemns this announcement as it will clamp down on free speech, limit access to information, threaten the right to privacy and expose citizens who have been relying on VPNs to cyber threats and unauthorised surveillance.

“VPNs are an important part of digital democracy as they can safeguard citizens’ political rights online. In Africa, it has become common for governments to shut down or throttle the internet during electoral periods or to quell protests. VPNs have been providing refuge to millions of citizens and allowing citizens to exercise their rights to express themselves online and participate in civic discourse freely,” said Mr. Sani Suleiman, PIN’s Programs Officer.

Paradigm Initiative, which is a pan-African organisation that advocates for digital rights and inclusion across the continent further challenged key stakeholders to reject efforts aimed at undermining encryption.

The organisation underscored the importance of strong encryption citing that it cannot be overstated. “It is a cornerstone of a safer digital world for us all. The guarantee of secure and private communication is not only a fundamental human right but also an essential component of maintaining trust in the global digital ecosystem,” Sani said.

Encryption, he added, ensures that personal data, online communications, financial and sensitive information are shielded from prying eyes, enhancing the safety and security of individuals, businesses, and society as a whole. It is also essential for protecting freedom of expression and association online.

“Any attempts to weaken this shield are tantamount to compromising the security of all who rely on it. As such, we remain steadfast in our commitment to repel any proposals that threaten to compromise this fundamental technology,” he continued.

Paradigm Initiative noted that currently, encryption is under threat. In recent years, there has been an upward trend in governments purchasing surveillance technologies capable of undermining end-to-end encryption, often done under the guise of national security or public safety. This is of concern in repressive regimes, where encryption is used by journalists, activists, and human rights defenders to communicate and share information safely.

The organisation is deeply concerned about the potential impact of these efforts to undermine encryption on human rights and democracy.

Encryption is essential for protecting freedom of expression, association, and assembly online. It is also essential for protecting the right to privacy and security.

When encryption is weakened, it makes it easier for governments and other entities to spy on communications, steal data, and censor online activity. This can have a chilling effect on free speech and association and can also put people at risk of physical harm.

On Global Encryption Day, Paradigm Initiative therefore;

• Recommends end-to-end encryption and that VPNs be legally available for use by everyone, more so human rights defenders, journalists, and others at risk around the world.
• Urges governments and the private sector to reject all proposals that undermine end-to-end encryption. But rather support policies that enhance, strengthen, and promote the use of strong encryption to protect individuals globally.

Strong encryption is a critical tool toward a safer world for us all. We must protect it.

[Featured Image Credit]

The round was led by renowned global technology investors Flexcap Ventures and revered founder/CEO of Infoscout, Jared Schreiber.

Ramani also raised undisclosed seed funding in 2021 that included participation from Village Global, Goat Capital, Musha Ventures, Hustle Fund, Future Africa, Launch Africa Ventures, Raba capital, and renowned angel investor, James Beshara. Ramani was originally backed by Y combinator.

With this new capital funding, Ramani will scale its network of micro-distribution centres (MDCs) and also launch a new micro-credit offering for select MDCs.

Founded in 2019, Ramani is focused on fixing fragmented consumer goods supply chains that traditionally suffer from lack of data visibility and are burdened by limited access to financial services.

To address these challenges, Ramani provides tech-enabled inventory management systems, procurement, and point of sale software to digitise the processes of MDCs, helping them gain real-time sales insights and inventory visibility.

Ramani is then also able to leverage this data to offer up inventory with delayed payment terms, enabling them to scale. This year, the company acquired a lending license from the Central Bank of Tanzania to scale their customers further.

MDCs in Ramani’s network have been able to grow their revenues by at least 20% since subscribing and leveraging the platform’s diverse functionalities such as real time inventory tracking. The upcoming microcredit vertical will give qualified resellers access to interest free credit lines to help them manage their cash flow more efficiently. Ramani also plans to create ways in which everyday Africans are able to earn a passive income from the trillion dollar CPG industry by investing with the company.

Commenting on the Series A, Ramani CEO and Co-founder Iain Usiri said, “Ultimately, we want to make it easier for businesses to succeed in Africa and this new capital is another brick in that foundation. We’ve leveraged our Silicon Valley relationships and partnered with globally renowned investors, many of whom are successful founders themselves. We’re committed to repaying their faith in us and in Africa.”

Andrew Vigneault, Co-founder and General Partner of Flexcap Ventures added, “The CPG industry in Africa is being systematically transformed by Ramani’s huge ambition for a vastly improved and more efficient supply chain. It has been a pleasure to witness Ramani’s success and traction so far and we are certain the company will continue to achieve market-leading growth, fueled by a strong leadership team with exceptional technical expertise.”

Ramani was founded by brothers Iain and Calvin Usiri, and Kibet Martin who were born and raised in Tanzania and Kenya, respectively. They have backgrounds in Computer Science and Finance from Stanford, Google, Salesforce and CapGemini.

Their decision to return home to build an industry-defining product was buoyed by personal conviction to harness their skills and ingenuity and to solve local challenges.

Ramani joins other companies such as Wasoko, Tushop and Pando DAO to operate out of Silicon Zanzibar, the public-private initiative to attract and relocate tech companies and workers from across Africa and beyond to the island of Zanzibar.