Agusto Upgrades Payaza Rating Following Expansion Drive

Payaza Africa Limited has secured an upgraded credit rating from BBB to A- by Agusto & Co., reflecting increasing confidence in the company’s operational stability and long-term growth prospects.

In a statement issued on Monday, Payaza described the upgrade as another milestone in its growth journey, noting that it highlighted stronger institutional trust in its business model and operations.

The company stated that the improved rating reinforced perceptions that it was evolving from a fast-growing fintech startup into a more mature and institutionally trusted financial services brand.

“This recognition reinforces a broader market view that Payaza is evolving beyond the profile of a fast-growing payments company into a more mature and institutionally trusted financial brand.

“Our rating journey reflects not only strong financial performance but also prudent management, operational resilience, internal discipline, and the ability to scale responsibly in a competitive and rapidly changing market.

“These qualities are becoming increasingly important in Africa’s fintech ecosystem, where investor and institutional confidence are now shaped not only by innovation but also by governance, liquidity, execution, and long-term credibility,” the statement read.

The company added that the transition from BBB to A- represented strengthening fundamentals, disciplined execution, and rising market confidence in its strategic direction.

Payaza also highlighted recent innovations introduced by the company, including “Chat and Pay by Payaza,” a feature allowing merchants to receive payments and generate receipts directly via WhatsApp.

The company further disclosed that it recently launched Shopaza, a storefront solution designed to help businesses sell products across multiple regions while enabling seamless payment collection.

Chief Executive Officer of Payaza, Seyi Ebenezer, said the upgrade reflected the company’s commitment to building a sustainable and globally relevant financial institution.

“This upgrade is a strong affirmation of the discipline, consistency, and long-term value we are building at Payaza.

“It shows that our growth is being matched by stronger institutional confidence, and that the market is recognising the strength of our model, our execution, and our vision for the future.

“For us, this means stronger positioning in the local and global market. For the industry, it offers further evidence that African fintech can produce not only innovation-led businesses, but resilient, well-governed institutions with the capacity to compete at scale,” he stated.

Payaza also noted that other rating agencies had recognised the company in recent months.

According to the company, DataPro upgraded its rating from A to AA-, while Intelligent Africa assigned it an A- rating. It added that Moody’s also upgraded its rating to A3.

Payaza operates as a payment infrastructure provider offering collection, payout, and embedded financial service solutions to businesses across Africa and international markets.