Faster Transactions Across Africa with New Settlement Partnership

Nigerian fintech startup Esca Finance has announced a partnership with MANSA, a stablecoin settlement provider backed by Tether, to enable same-day payment settlements across key African markets. This includes Nigeria, Ghana, and major Francophone countries in West and Central Africa.

The collaboration combines Esca’s existing FX infrastructure with MANSA’s stablecoin rails, addressing common challenges for businesses operating across multiple African nations. Companies often face delays and capital tie-ups when processing cross-border payments through traditional banking systems.

“MANSA’s settlement-first USDT rails have strengthened our ability to deliver same-day settlements across key African corridors,” said Shalom Osiadi, CEO of Esca Finance. “This will help us scale more efficiently with tier-one remittance players.”

Addressing a Critical Need in African Payments

The partnership aims to solve several pain points for businesses:

• Slow settlement times: Traditional correspondent banking can take days or even weeks for funds to clear.
• Capital inefficiency: Companies must pre-fund accounts in multiple countries, tying up working capital.
• High costs: Cross-border fees and exchange rate markups reduce profit margins.

By leveraging stablecoins, Esca and MANSA offer a more efficient alternative that provides liquidity when transactions are initiated, reducing the need for businesses to maintain large balances across borders.

Expanding Reach Across the Continent

Esca Finance processes between $75 million and $120 million in monthly transaction volume, serving clients like MoneyGram and Bridge. The company expects MANSA’s infrastructure to handle 10%–20% of its payments over the next year.

Beyond this initial rollout, Esca plans to expand its network across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), with additional markets including Seychelles and Djibouti targeted for 2026.