Onafriq to Accelerate Growth With Simon Black as Board Chairman

Mr Black joins the board of the digital payments network as an independent non-executive director of Onafriq UK Holdings Limited, the parent firm of Onafriq.

His appointment underscores Onafriq’s commitment to assembling world-class leadership capable of propelling the company’s infrastructure across Africa and beyond.

His global perspective and proven success in forging partnerships with industry giants will prove invaluable as Onafriq cements its position as the definitive network of networks for African payments.

As the board chairman, Mr Black will work closely with the founder and chief executive of Onafriq, Mr Dare Okoudjou, as well the executive team, board, and the shareholder base to provide strategic guidance, focusing on cross-border scale, global partnerships, and long-term value creation.

He brings to the organisation over three decades of experience building and scaling payments and technology platforms to support Onafriq’s next phase of growth.

“Simon’s appointment comes at a transformative moment in Onafriq’s journey. To fulfil our mission of making borders matter less across Africa, we must build upon our strong foundations to create an even more resilient and innovative business.

“His exceptional track record of scaling fintech leaders and navigating complexity makes him the ideal chairman to guide this next phase.

“His strategic expertise will be instrumental as we strengthen our position as Africa’s payments infrastructure backbone and accelerate financial inclusion throughout the continent,” Mr Okoudjou commented.

“Joining Onafriq is not only a professional privilege, but a personal commitment to a mission I deeply believe in. The company has built what is arguably the most extensive and sophisticated digital payments infrastructure on the continent—connecting over 500 million wallets and 200 million bank accounts across 42 African markets. That scale, combined with a deep understanding of local markets, uniquely positions Onafriq to solve the continent’s most pressing payment challenges.

“I am excited to support the team in shaping the future of cross-border finance in Africa and enabling seamless commerce at a scale the world hasn’t seen before,” Mr Black said.

The new board chairman has earned industry-wide recognition for transforming high-potential fintech and software businesses into market leaders.

During his tenure as CEO of PPRO from 2015 to 2023, he steered the German-based payments infrastructure provider from an emerging start-up to a formidable global player, driving revenue growth beyond €100 million while expanding the team to more than 500 professionals across many markets.

Previously, as CEO of Sage Pay, Mr Black orchestrated tenfold revenue growth, establishing the company as a leading force in SME ecommerce payments.