Startbutton expands operations to seven Francophone nations in Africa

Startbutton expands operations to seven Francophone nations in Africa

Startbutton, a startup backed by Norrsken that helps businesses broaden their reach abroad without needing physical offices, is expanding into seven Francophone African countries. 

The expansion, announced Thursday, includes Benin, Togo, Senegal, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon. The goal is to enable more companies to enter these markets and accept local payments.

Startbutton’s entry into Francophone Africa is designed to assist startups in expanding their reach in the region without establishing physical offices. Francophone Africa has become a popular destination for African startups due to its growing middle class with disposable income.

Read also: Saviu II secures €25 million to support early-stage startups in Africa

Startbutton’s francophone Africa expansion

Foreign businesses often encounter challenges such as complex regulations, language barriers, and limited payment infrastructure, especially when accepting local mobile money or settling transactions in foreign currencies. 

Related Post:  Top five cryptocurrency platforms dominating Africa's market in 2025

Startbutton aims to alleviate these issues by helping companies accept local payments and charge in foreign currencies. 

Startbutton CEO Malick Bolakale says they are “leveraging local partnerships (with banks) to drive adoption, ensuring we work with trusted financial and business networks”. 

He added that Startbutton will also “execute direct outreach to high-growth businesses, educate the market through strategic content, and position Startbutton as the default choice for businesses expanding into Francophone Africa”. 

Startbutton’s Direct Currency Converter (DCC) allows companies to maintain foreign currency pricing while enabling end users to pay in local currencies.

Read also: Busha launches cNGN: Nigeria’s private-sector stablecoin for fast cross-border transactions

Compliance as a differentiator: A competitive edge

In the Francophone market, Startbutton will compete with companies like DLocal and Julaya. However, Startbutton differentiates itself by offering additional features, such as local tax compliance. 

Related Post:  Zambian startup Duniya Healthcare emerges 2025 WSA Global Champion in digital health innovation

Bolakale stated, “Our differentiation lies in compliance-first expansion—helping businesses navigate complex regulatory landscapes while streamlining their payment flows”. 

He noted, “Unlike pure payment processors, we enable businesses to operate legally and seamlessly, ensuring they don’t just process payments but also meet local tax and regulatory requirements”.

With this expansion, Startbutton now operates in 15 countries, focusing on French-speaking markets’ travel, education, and digital services sectors. 

The startup processes over $5 million monthly and anticipates processing an additional $2 million in the Francophone market. Last year, Startbutton secured an International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO) license in Nigeria and a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) license in the UK.

Modupeoluwa Olalere

Modupeoluwa Olalere, a tech enthusiast with 4+ years of experience simplifying tech stories and making complex ideas easy to understand.

Next Post

StarkWare paves way for African blockchain growth with $4 million fund

Fri Feb 7 , 2025
       StarkWare, an Israeli blockchain company valued at $8 billion, launched a $4 million fund on Thursday to support blockchain startups […]
StarkWare paves way for African blockchain growth with $4 million fund

Related Posts

Quick Links

techpression.com
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.