Visa Names Aminata Kane Senior Vice President and Head of Western & Central Africa

Visa has selected Aminata Kane as Senior Vice President and Head of Western and Central Africa, with her appointment taking effect on September 4, 2025. From her base in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, she will head a new regional structure that brings together operations across 23 markets from four main regional offices in Abidjan, Accra, Kinshasa, and Lagos.

A Proven Leader in Digital Finance

Aminata Kane joins Visa after more than a decade of leadership in digital financial services and telecommunications. Before her appointment, she served as Regional Chief Executive Officer of Orange Money Group, overseeing operations as well as Orange Bank Africa across 17 countries. Her experience extends deep into Africa and the Middle East markets, where she shaped mobile money and digital banking strategies that reached millions.

Championing Inclusion with Technology

Beyond her fintech credentials, she has earned recognition as a strong advocate for youth empowerment and women’s access to technology. As founder of initiatives such as the Orange Foundation and Orange Digital Center in Sierra Leone, she has worked to equip underserved communities with leadership skills and digital training—demonstrating her commitment to inclusive development.

Strategic Focus for Visa’s Regional Expansion

In her new role, Kane will guide Visa’s operations across West and Central Africa. She will oversee hubs in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her mandate includes accelerating financial inclusion, scaling digital payment infrastructure, and coordinating with governments and fintech partners to extend secure and affordable payment access across underserved areas.

Visa’s regional president described her strategic vision as critical to driving innovation and bringing tailored payment solutions to a fast-evolving market.

What This Signals for Visa and Africa

This appointment reflects a broader drive by Visa to deepen its footprint across Africa’s dynamic digital economy. With growing smartphone use, rising entrepreneurship, and a youthful population, Visa aims to tap into new growth opportunities and support expanding digital ecosystems.

Kane’s leadership sends a strong signal that Visa aims not just to expand regionally, but to embed local leadership and vision into its growth strategy.

Career Path Anchored in Global Exposure

A native of Senegal, Kane began her career at Goldman Sachs in the U.S. and advanced through McKinsey & Company in Paris, where she advised global corporations on strategy and market development. She holds degrees from HEC Paris and MIT Sloan School of Management, and she has earned accolades such as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and recognition among the Top 100 Women CEOs in Africa.

Vision for Inclusive Digital Payments

Speaking on her new role, Kane emphasized the opportunity to shape the next wave of digital and financial inclusion across the region. She pledged to partner with fintech firms, regulators, and community organizations to enhance digital access, empower small businesses, and develop sustainable, trust-based payment infrastructures that promote economic inclusion.

Broader Impact on Regional Markets

Under her leadership, Visa plans to accelerate investment in:

• Mobile money and digital wallets

• Fintech startup collaborations

• Financial infrastructure in underserved towns

• Enterprise-grade digital payment solutions

Visa has pledged $1 billion in investments over five years to support Africa’s fintech growth—efforts that Kane will help steer and expand across Western and Central Africa.

Why This Role Matters

With expanding economies and digitization trends reshaping financial access in West and Central Africa, leadership in digital payments is critical. Airtime-based remittances, cross-border transactions, and small merchant uptake rely on trusted platforms. Kane’s experience uniquely positions her to scale Visa’s reach across diverse markets and make payments more inclusive and secure.

Outlook for Visa’s Regional Strategy

As Kane steps into her role this September, she leads a new regional hierarchy focused on coordination, innovation, and execution. Expect to see increased local partnerships, regulatory alignment, and tailored product rollouts in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and the DRC.

Her leadership may also accelerate Visa’s goal of integrating digital financial services into regional economic initiatives, small business support programs, and public sector infrastructure.

Conclusion

Visa’s appointment of Aminata Kane as SVP and Head of Western & Central Africa marks a strategic turning point in the company’s African expansion. With her strong track record in fintech leadership and inclusive development, she will guide Visa’s efforts to widen payment access, foster innovation, and embed trusted financial infrastructure across a key region of growth.

Her leadership promises to advance Visa’s mission to build digital ecosystems that uplift communities, empower enterprises, and grow economies in one of the world’s most vibrant digital frontiers.