The operators: 15 people building a borderless Africa

Today, we’re introducing The Operators List. It’s the first release in our Borderless 150 project — a collection of the people helping build a more connected and more borderless Africa.

When people think about cross-border payments, they usually think about the founders.

They rarely think about the compliance lead who gets the licence approved, the partnerships executive who spends months securing a banking relationship, the lawyer who argues for a new regulatory framework, or the journalist documenting an industry as it’s being built.

But none of this works without them.

The Operators List recognises 15 people building inside the machine. Some are creating the identity and compliance infrastructure that allows businesses to move money safely.

Others are building the rails that connect Africa to the rest of the world. Some negotiate the partnerships that make global payments possible. Others shape policy, document the industry, and help the public understand what’s changing.

They may not always be the public face of the companies they work for, but their work makes borderless payments possible.

This isn’t a ranking, and it isn’t a popularity contest. We looked at longevity, measurable impact, and strategic influence. Above all, we asked a simple question: whose work has meaningfully advanced the infrastructure of a borderless Africa?

The result is a list that spans lawyers, compliance leaders, infrastructure builders, partnership executives, founders, operators, and journalists. Together, they represent the people solving the difficult, often invisible problems that stand between an African business and the rest of the world.

The Operators List is just the beginning. Over the coming days, we’ll publish more editions of the Borderless 150, recognising people across different parts of the ecosystem who are helping connect Africa through technology, finance, commerce, logistics, policy, and infrastructure.

Many of these operators will also be in the room at The Borderless Experience by Condia on 21 August, where we’ll bring together the builders shaping the future of money movement across the continent. Find out more and get tickets at borderless.thecondia.com.

If you’ve ever wondered who really builds the infrastructure behind borderless payments, this list is a good place to start.

---

This list was created in partnership with Fintech Is Easy, an independent research and strategy publication covering the art and business of moving money in and out of Africa and around the world.

Last updated: August 3, 2026