Visa Direct hands $80tn payments push to new Global Head Vira Platonova
Vira Platonova has been appointed as the new Global Head of Visa Direct. Visa Direct processed 3.3 billion transactions in Q3 2025, averaging over a billion transactions monthly.
Mastercard deepens Africa strategy with Smile ID investment and partnership
Mastercard announced a minority investment in Smile ID on September 25, 2025. The partnership aims to accelerate the rollout of secure digital identity solutions across Africa.
Smile ID, Mastercard Announce Partnership to Scale Digital Identity Across Africa
Africa's digital economy projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030. Mastercard extends partnership with Smile ID to enhance digital identity solutions.
Mastercard Advances AI-Powered Payments with New Tools & Collaborations
Mastercard partners with Stripe, Google, and Ant International to enhance secure agentic transactions. The Mastercard Agent Pay program will be available to all U.S. cardholders with a global rollout to follow.
World Wide Worx, Mastercard Report Predicts R130 Million Surge in SA’s E-Commerce Sector
Online retail in South Africa is expected to exceed R130 billion by the end of 2025. The sector grew by 35% in 2024, reaching R96 billion, representing 8% of total retail sales.
