Introducing Startbutton - your merchant of record in Africa. Startbutton connects you to local payment channels, allowing you to get paid in local currency. It also supports your business with local tax compliance across various African markets,
"2025 was growth; this year is scale".
Our CEO, Mallick, had a chat with the amazing folks at @TechCabal detailing our journey so far at Startbutton Africa.
From discovering the problem -> validating the idea -> growing and expanding across 15 African countries in 3 years.
Follow our story here: https://t.co/qmSBMZNdNK
Expanding into Africa? The product is rarely the problem.
Entity setup, tax exposure, payment rails. Most founders figure this out after they've already spent the runway.
Startbutton solves that layer. Our co-founders are at Money 20/20 Amsterdam this week. Let's talk.
We have a hot take ๐
Most market entry advice is WRONG for digital product companies.
Whatโs the usual advice?
Get a lawyer, get incorporated, get a local license, open a bank account, start selling.
If your business sells software, this process only helps you waste an unnecessary amount of time.
Letโs go over each one. ๐๐ฝ
Licensing: Everybody tells you to get licensed. But they donโt tell you that licensing in African markets can take around 3-18 months. Requirements vary per country, so you cannot copy and paste. In most cases, youโre navigating frameworks that werenโt written with digital products in mind. You can spend a year getting licensed before one customer pays you a dime.
Then thereโs tax:
VAT, withholding tax, corporate income tax, etc. Every market has its own rules, rates and filing calendar.
If you discover this after youโve started selling, it means that youโve been non-compliant without knowing it. Like licensing, you have to navigate these frameworks to function legally in each jurisdiction.
And then, payments:
Getting money from customers in-market to your account at home involves: local payment rails, FX conversion, settlement timelines, and in some markets, central bank approval for repatriation.
A lot of companies figure this out after they've already promised customers a product. The payment infrastructure has to be part of your original expansion plan.
Lastly, compliance:
Compliance is not a one-time thing. Regulations are constantly changing in Africa, with different geographical and language barriers many advisors might not fully understand. Compliance is a full time job.
So, whatโs the right advice?
You donโt need to set up a local entity or get licensed separately. You donโt have to manage tax registration across multiple markets.
All you need is an entity to become the legal seller in each market โ Startbutton.
We absorb the compliance layer, while you sell.
Startbutton is built for global digital products and software looking to expand across Africa. Weโre live in 15 countries, including 7 in francophone Africa. Your company can go from zero to legally selling in a new African market in as little as 30 minutes. Get started today on https://t.co/U5EZQhnCTd
What is a Merchant of Record? How do we make it possible for you to sell across Africa? And how do we differ from another fintech payment gateway?
In this video, all of these questions are answered. Expanding to other countries within Africa just got simpler!
...beyond borders with Startbutton!
#startbutton #merchantofrecord
So the same international sponsor flow looks different:
With a payment gateway:
โ You handle regulations, FX, risk โ payment fails if you are not incorporated in your customer's country. That is, you will need to have a registered physical office.
With a Merchant of Record:
โ Startbutton handles: local payment, compliance requirements, currency conversion depending on your preferred currency; KES, NGN, GHS, USD, ZAR โ name it โ all without needing to incorporate in those countries. We currently operate in 16 African countries.
When you use Startbutton as your Merchant of record in this scenario:
It becomes the legal seller in that transaction, handles compliance, and manages cross-border payments infrastructure
Money is getting harder to hide ๐๐
New anti-money laundering rules mean stricter checks, more transparency, and tighter controls on how money moves, especially across digital platforms.
If you run a business, expect more KYC requests, transaction monitoring, and questions about where your money comes from.
This is a shift in how trust is built online.
We are hiring ๐ฃ
Role: Sales Associate
Location: Lagos
Startbutton is a Merchant of Record (MoR) company that helps businesses expand and transact seamlessly across Africa. We enable merchants operate in multiple countries on the continent, transact in their local currency, while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Sales Associate who will be responsible for driving the growth of our products and services through effective sales and client retention strategies. The candidate should have a strong understanding of both sales and account management principles, excellent communication skills, and a proven track record of achieving sales targets and driving brand awareness.
Interested candidates who meet the requirements should apply using this link: https://t.co/rXl0T5yMXJ
Studies show that we spend most of our adulthood working with our colleagues.
But what mostly describes working at Startbutton?
From building , to problem-solving, to celebrating the small wins in-between; Itโs the people that make the difference.
Happy Workerโs day to every team making work feel meaningful and fun ๐ผ๐งก๐ซ
Our CEO @BM4short transitioned from serving as the Legal lead at Paystack to founding Startbutton and he is and he will be sharing what that experience looks like in this masterclass.
He will be hosting a professional masterclass alongside other industry leaders on how to The Professional Blueprint for success in the 21st Centuryโ organized by @Ycp_Isolo
Date: May 1, 2026
Time: 10:00 am
Zoom link: https://t.co/3AaEc1OgZX
In this conversation with Daniel Akpauta, we realized that for many business owners, bringing in a growth consultant isnโt outsourcing for convenience. Itโs a deliberate move to fix whatโs not working.
But even the best strategy struggles if your business isnโt built to scale.
As you expand, payments, compliance, and operations can quietly limit results. At Startbutton, we handle the infrastructure so your growth efforts actually convert.
#digitalbusiness #businessgrowth #Businessexpansion #startbutton