Nigeria’s Tanda Launches to Digitise Informal Markets Across Africa

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Nigerian fintech startup Tanda has officially launched with a bold mission to build digital infrastructure that brings Africa’s vast informal markets into the formal economy.

The platform aims to digitise traditional market systems from daily savings and credit to supply chain management and payments targeting the millions of small traders, market women, and micro-businesses that form the backbone of African economies but remain largely excluded from formal financial services.

Africa’s informal sector accounts for a massive portion of economic activity, employing over 80% of the workforce in many countries. However, these businesses often operate with limited access to credit, digital tools, and reliable data systems. Tanda seeks to bridge this gap by creating a comprehensive fintech and data platform tailored specifically for informal market participants.

The startup combines mobile technology, data analytics, and embedded finance solutions to help informal traders digitise their operations. Key features are expected to include digital ledger systems, group savings (ajo/esusu) digitisation, micro-credit scoring based on transaction behaviour, and seamless payment rails for market-level trade

Tanda’s approach goes beyond basic payments. By building verifiable digital records for traders, the platform aims to unlock access to formal finance, insurance, and supply chain opportunities. This data-driven model could significantly improve credit assessment for lenders who have traditionally avoided the informal sector due to high perceived risk.

The launch reflects growing investor and entrepreneurial interest in solving deep structural challenges within Africa’s informal economy, which continues to dominate commerce in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and beyond.

As one of the newest entrants in Africa’s fintech space, Tanda joins a growing cohort of startups focusing on last-mile digitisation of traditional trade and savings systems. Its success will likely depend on its ability to gain trust among market associations, navigate complex local dynamics, and scale across multiple countries.

The company has not yet disclosed full funding details or specific rollout timelines, but early indications suggest an initial focus on Nigerian markets before regional expansion.

This launch adds to the momentum of fintech solutions designed to serve Africa’s informal economy, potentially creating new pathways for financial inclusion and economic formalisation across the continent.