The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s digital economy is gaining a high-profile cultural ambassador as Congolese music superstar Fally Ipupa becomes the official face of Visa Pay in the country.
The partnership between Ipupa and Visa was announced in Kinshasa as the DRC continues expanding digital payment options ahead of the Central Bank’s 2027 cashless agenda. The collaboration brings together the reach of one of Africa’s best-known musicians with a digital payments platform designed to make everyday transactions more accessible and convenient.
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Visa Pay was launched in the DRC in September 2025 as an interoperable payments and e-commerce solution. Consumers can use the dedicated Visa Pay mobile application or access the service through participating banks, mobile operators and fintech platforms.
Through the new partnership, Ipupa will promote Visa Pay through consumer campaigns, digital content, public appearances and community engagement initiatives. His involvement also highlights the growing connection between Africa’s creative industries and the continent’s expanding digital economy.
The platform currently works with Access Bank, Sofibanque, Solidaire Banque and UBA, while Trust Merchant Bank customers can access Visa Pay through the Pepele application. Other financial institutions are also integrating the service as the digital payments ecosystem expands.
For consumers, Visa Pay offers several ways to move and spend money digitally. Users can obtain a digital Visa card through participating financial institutions, make online payments and send money to other Visa Pay users using a registered mobile number rather than entering bank-account details.
Eligible smartphones can also be used for contactless payments at compatible terminals, allowing customers to pay in stores without carrying cash or a physical bank card.
Visa’s Managing Director for the DRC, Sophie Kafuti, said Ipupa’s influence across generations and communities makes him a strong cultural link for the company’s efforts to encourage wider adoption of digital payments.
For Ipupa, the partnership represents an opportunity to connect music, technology and economic participation. The Congolese artist said digital innovation can create new opportunities and encouraged consumers to participate more actively in the digital economy.
The collaboration also reflects a wider shift across Africa, where financial technology is increasingly connecting consumers, businesses, creators and entrepreneurs to digital services. For the DRC’s creative economy, the partnership places a leading Congolese artist at the intersection of culture and financial technology.
As the country works toward its 2027 cashless-payment ambitions, the Visa Pay initiative is positioning digital transactions as part of everyday economic activity. With Fally Ipupa helping bring that message to a broad audience, the partnership places the DRC’s digital transformation firmly within the country’s evolving creative and technology landscape.
