Statista, a globally renowned market data provider, and CNBC, a prominent American media company, have included seven African fintech companies—Flutterwave, Piggyvest, Kuda, MTN, Bank Zero, Palmpay, and Yoco—in their 2024 list of the top 250 fintech companies. These startups were chosen from a pool of 2,000 companies worldwide.
The list, which also features major global firms such as Mastercard, Klarna, Flywire, and Robinhood, marks the second edition by the Statista-CNBC partnership, following the inaugural list released in 2023.
The selection process was based on thorough desk research conducted by the Statista team, supplemented by information provided by the businesses. Key metrics considered included 2023 revenues, year-on-year sales growth rate, and total headcount. It is important to note that the list is unranked.
In the 2024 list of the top 250 fintech companies, Nigerian fintech Kuda and South African Bank Zero were recognized as leading neobanks.
In the payments category, Nigerian unicorn Flutterwave, the Chinese-owned Palmpay, Partech-backed South African fintech Yoco, and MTN for its mobile money service, MTN MoMo, were highlighted.
Piggyvest stood out as the sole African startup featured in the financial planning category.