Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa reshape smartphone-enabled payments

The consumer gateway into Africa’s digital economy became more dynamic during Q2 as device access, mobile onboarding and contactless payments converged. Kenya’s Finance Bill 2026 targeted smartphones through a proposed excise duty, raising affordability concerns for digital inclusion and handset distribution, while Cameroon blocked undeclared mobile devices, underscoring growing customs and compliance scrutiny. In South Africa, Apple launched Tap to Pay on iPhone, while Capitec prepared to launch an eSIM-enabled mobile network offering, reinforcing the role of smartphones in financial and telecoms services. Payment modernisation also advanced across markets, with Peach Payments rolling out Apple Pay in Mauritius; CashAfrica and ChamsSwitch expanding tap-to-pay infrastructure in Nigeria; Mastercard and Letshego launching a debit card in Mozambique; and Mastercard deepening its digital banking partnership with Egypt’s CIB. Together, these developments showed how smartphone ecosystems increasingly connect taxation, device compliance, payments and consumer experience, favouring businesses able to combine compliant device distribution, secure onboarding and trusted payment experiences.