Flutterwave, a major African payments technology company, has partnered with Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain network, to advance stablecoin payments in Africa. This collaboration will integrate Tempo's blockchain as a settlement network within Flutterwave’s Send App and Flutterwave for Business (F4B) platforms. This move seeks to make global money transfers faster and more efficient across the continent.
The partnership aims to tackle the high costs and long delays currently affecting cross-border transactions into and within Africa. Remittance fees to sub-Saharan Africa average around 7%, according to the World Bank. This rate is significantly higher than the global average of 6% and exceeds the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of 3%. Traditional banking methods also lead to settlement delays of several business days, reducing funds available for businesses and families.
This initiative fits into Ghana’s broader economic landscape by potentially lowering transaction costs for remittances. High remittance fees reduce the disposable income of families and the working capital for businesses. Reducing these costs could boost economic activity and improve financial inclusion across the region. Ghana, like many African nations, relies on remittances for a significant portion of its economy.
Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Flutterwave Founder and CEO, emphasized the strategic importance of this development. He stated, “We are building the infrastructure for how money should move in a modern, connected world—compliant, scalable, and designed for real-time global commerce.” He added that the partnership with Tempo expands their existing payment ecosystem by adding practical stablecoin settlement rails. These tools will make cross-border payments faster, more predictable, and more cost-efficient for both businesses and individuals across Africa.
Dan Romero, Tempo Head of GTM, also commented on the partnership. He noted Flutterwave's extensive payment network in Africa. He expressed excitement to work with their team to expand stablecoin settlement to corridors that have long used slow, expensive traditional payment systems. The goal is to get this new system into production on Tempo.
Once fully implemented, the integration will support wallet-to-wallet transactions using stablecoins such as USDC and USDT. This will provide users with quicker settlement times, reliable network performance, and predictable transaction costs. Tempo will complement Flutterwave's existing blockchain settlement infrastructure, which already includes Polygon-based stablecoin capabilities. This will offer additional settlement options tailored to specific corridor needs.
The teams are currently working to improve two core Flutterwave products. The Send App connects individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Canada to recipients across Africa. Flutterwave for Business (F4B) manages enterprise cross-border payments, supplier settlements, and USD-denominated flows. Tempo’s infrastructure, built for high-volume payments, features fast transaction finality. It also aligns with ISO 20022 standards, which will allow businesses to easily track cross-border transactions within their existing finance and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
This collaboration highlights a global trend where stablecoins are moving from specialized crypto tools to practical payment rails. This transition aims to improve settlement efficiency and access to global liquidity. The success of this partnership could significantly influence how money moves across African economies, potentially lowering costs and increasing speed for millions of users.