Startbutton Featured on CNN for Cross-Border Payments

Startbutton was featured on CNN’s Connecting Africa, where CTO Kelechi Oti shared how it supports compliant cross-border payments and processes $7M monthly.

In Short

Startbutton appeared on CNN’s business show, Connecting Africa.
The company positioned itself as a merchant of record for African expansion.
Startbutton says it processes $7 million in payments every month.

What Happened

Startbutton, a pan-African merchant of record platform, was featured on CNN’s Connecting Africa. Startbutton helps businesses sell across borders by handling payments, currency conversion, and compliance.

In the segment, Startbutton CTO Kelechi Oti said the company enables merchants to “pay and get paid across Africa in a compliant way.” Compliance means meeting local rules like tax, consumer protection, and payments regulation in each country. For many online businesses, those requirements make expansion slow and expensive.

Oti said Startbutton currently supports expansion across 15 African countries and processes about $7 million per month. The company also reported serving over 150 merchants across 35 countries. That footprint suggests Startbutton works with businesses that sell into Africa from multiple regions, not only companies incorporated on the continent.

CNN’s episode focused on companies simplifying cross-border payments, meaning money movement between countries. Startbutton was mentioned alongside Workpay and Nala, which also operate in Africa’s financial services space.

Startbutton said it was founded in 2023 and is backed by Norrsken. It also listed several customers, including Paystack, Wakanow, and Cellulant.

Why It Matters

Cross-border trade in Africa often breaks at the basics, collecting money locally, settling in a different currency, and staying compliant in each market. A merchant of record model can reduce that burden because the platform becomes the seller of record for payments and regulatory obligations.

For startups and scaleups selling digital services, travel, e-commerce, or gaming across African markets, tools that bundle payments, FX, and compliance can speed up market entry. It also aligns with AfCFTA’s goal of increasing intra-African trade, even when the practical rails are still fragmented.