Latin American payments company dLocal Ltd. plans to acquire Aza Finance, a payments provider focused on Africa. This acquisition is expected to significantly expand dLocal’s presence and ability to handle payments across different countries within the African continent. Per Bloomberg, the deal values Aza Finance at around $150 million.
The agreement comes less than five months after the two companies began a partnership. The deal still needs to receive approval from regulatory authorities, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
The acquisition is designed to scale dLocal’s operations in Africa, enhancing its cross-border volumes and reach, particularly within the remittance sector. This integration is expected to improve service delivery for dLocal’s existing regional customer base.
“By combining dLocal and AZA Finance, we are well-positioned to offer innovative, efficient, and localised payment solutions to help businesses and individuals prosper in this rapidly evolving region,” dLocal Chief Operating Officer, Carlos Menendez, said in a statement seen by Condia.
For dLocal, the deal offers several key strategic advantages, including strengthened treasury operations with over-the-counter foreign exchange capabilities, expanded stablecoin coverage, and improved payout efficiency. It marks dLocal’s first acquisition outside of Latin America and its largest since its 2021 purchase of PrimeiroPay for approximately $40 million.
dLocal plans to integrate Aza Finance’s team, leveraging their deep local expertise to drive continued growth and operational scalability. The acquisition builds on a robust 2025 for dLocal, which includes being recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Americas’ fastest-growing companies, securing an authorized payment institution license from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, and forging partnerships with entities like PayPal, Temu, and Airtel.
Aza Finance founder Elizabeth Rossiello highlighted her company’s eleven-year history of building “Africa’s largest and most efficient trading desk for fiat and stablecoin foreign exchange.” She added, “We are looking forward to integrating our technology and our deep bench of experts with dLocal’s massive global platform.”
dLocal’s growth has been significantly propelled by its strong presence in the Middle East and Africa, regions characterised by high cryptocurrency adoption. Key markets for dLocal’s expansion include the UAE, Turkey, and Nigeria, where stablecoin usage is particularly high. A survey indicated that 77% of Nigerian cryptocurrency users have converted local currency to stablecoins at least once.
Africa currently accounts for 20% of dLocal’s business, with “Nine out of our top 10 customers are operating with us in Africa,” a company executive noted. This strong continental performance is seen as a key factor in enhancing dLocal’s attractiveness and market position.
