At a ceremony held on Friday 23rd January in Dakar, Wave Digital Finances officially launched its Visa Card virtual in Senegal, in collaboration with Ecobank Senegal and Visa.

The 100% dematerialized payment solution is integrated into its mobile application. Behind this new digital solution, a major challenge for the operator. It is about allowing millions of Senegalese, often excluded from traditional banking circuits, to access online payments and international transactions through the Visa network.

According to Malick Gueye, CEO of Wave Senegal, “this launch marks an important step in our mission to make financial services as simple and accessible as possible.”

For Sandra Gayibor, Cluster Visa Director Senegal, Mali, Cape Verde, Niger and Guinea, as a payment network global, Visa brings international interoperability and standards of security that is essential to operate across borders.

Backed by the banking expertise of Ecobank Senegal, the Wave virtual card thus combines ease of use and reliability, while complying with compliance and consumer protection requirements.

Wave's virtual card launched in a context of growth for the African e-commerce market, driven by the youth of the population and the massive use of mobile phones. The World Bank estimates that the African e-commerce market, valued at over 50 billion USD in 2024, is expected to grow by at least 10% per year. For uses daily newspapers, especially among young people, small businesses and retailers local, it is an opportunity to reach a wider clientele and to integrate in global digital value chains.