What would it look like if Visa and Mastercard rolled out AI-powered, “agentic” payment systems across Africa, backed by stablecoin settlement? In this deep dive, I explore that question—blending current initiatives with realistic speculation about an agentic
payment ecosystem on the continent. From Visa’s Intelligent Commerce to Mastercard’s Agent Pay, global payment giants are laying the groundwork for a future where AI assistants transact on our behalf. I unpack how stablecoins could provide an interoperable,
always-on payment rail, and envision user experiences ranging from a customer in Hammanskraal ordering iKota via an AI assistant to an executive in Clifton having oysters and chardonnay delivered by a digital concierge. Throughout, I try to focus on user experience,
financial inclusion, and the broader economic relevance for African markets.
Visa and Mastercard Lay the Groundwork for Agentic Payments
Recent moves by Visa and Mastercard signal a concerted push into agentic commerce – where AI agents can initiate and complete purchases for users. In April 2025, Visa introduced Visa Intelligent Commerce, a suite of tools to open its payment network to AI-driven
shopping bots. This platform enables AI agents to make secure, tokenized payments on behalf of consumers, effectively turning a chatbot or digital assistant into a trusted shopper. Visa is even rolling out “AI-Ready Cards” – tokenized digital credentials that
verify an AI agent is acting with the user’s permission. In parallel, Mastercard unveiled Mastercard Agent Pay, part of its Agentic Payments Program, to similarly let AI-driven agents transact within Mastercard’s network.
Both companies are converging on the same idea: delegating payments to AI while ensuring trust and security. Visa’s approach emphasizes transaction controls and user-defined limits, positioning itself at the intersection of robust infrastructure and seamless
experience. Mastercard’s Agent Pay builds on its proven tokenization tech (the same used in mobile wallets and secure card-on-file transactions) by introducing Mastercard Agentic Tokens. These digital tokens effectively replace actual card details when an
AI agent makes a payment, keeping the process secure and familiar to existing payment flows. In effect, it is kind of like giving your AI a credit card with the necessary guardrails. In other words, your AI helper gets its own virtual card credential, tied
to your account but constrained by rules you set.
Crucially, trust is the linchpin of this agentic ecosystem. Both networks have stressed that banks, consumers, and merchants must trust an AI agent just as they would a human payer. To that end, they’re collaborating with top AI firms—OpenAI, Microsoft,
Anthropic, and others—to bake payments securely into AI platforms. The vision? One where your chatbot doesn’t just help you shop—it checks your wallet, confirms your spending limit, negotiates the price, and pays the bill. All without waking you from your
nap.
Stablecoins: Interoperable, Programmable and Always-On Payment Rails
Where do stablecoins fit into this picture? They make agentic payments interoperable, always available, and programmable across borders. Visa and Mastercard have each embraced stablecoins with strategic intent. Visa has piloted stablecoin settlements with
USDC over Ethereum and Solana. Mastercard, not to be left out, has launched end-to-end stablecoin capability and is moving toward stablecoin-linked cards. If money is becoming software, then stablecoins are the APIs of value.
Stablecoins operate on internet time—24/7/365. That means an AI agent in Nairobi can settle a supplier invoice in Accra while you’re asleep, cooking, or stuck in a minibus taxi with no signal. It’s financial automation that doesn’t wait for business hours.
Stablecoins are also natively programmable—perfect for agent rules. Want your AI to pay school fees only when a receipt is confirmed? Done. Need it to pause grocery spending if your monthly budget is exceeded? No problem. Think of stablecoins as programmable
lego bricks for money. Your agent just needs the blueprints, you get to decide what they are and how they should be applied.
Importantly, Africa’s markets are as rich in complexity as they are in opportunity. Local currencies, capital controls, and infrastructure gaps make cross-border payments feel more like cross-continental obstacle courses. Stablecoins cut across those barriers.
In practice, this could mean a stablecoin-enabled Visa card in Nigeria that settles payments to a Kenyan merchant instantly, with each party seeing their preferred currency. It’s the financial equivalent of ordering jollof from Ghana and getting it delivered
in South Africa, piping hot and reconciled in seconds.
In markets where currency volatility and banking access are chronic issues, stablecoins have emerged as a quiet lifeline. They enable individuals and SMEs to store value, transfer funds, and trade across borders—without depending on brittle banking infrastructure.
If AI agents run on stablecoin rails, I see them already automating remittances, but they could also allocate savings into dollar-backed instruments, or help small businesses identify optimal payment routes for suppliers.
From Hammanskraal to Clifton
In Hammanskraal, Thuli wants her Friday night iKota. She says, “Thuso, order my usual.” Thuso, her Sesotho-speaking AI agent, knows that means quarter loaf, polony, chips, achaar, and a cream soda. It pings Lerato’s stand, places the order, and pays using
Thuli’s stablecoin-linked Visa credential. Lerato gets rands. Thuli gets dinner. The best part? Thuso did it all while she was still finishing Skeem Saam.
Down in Clifton, Rob wants oysters, caviar, and a crisp Chardonnay. His concierge agent, Capri, takes care of everything—from sourcing sustainable shellfish to booking the delivery slot. Payments? Handled through a Mastercard Agentic Token tied to Arjun’s
digital wallet, with programmable spending caps (because even extravagance needs boundaries). One merchant prefers USDC. Capri obliges. The rest is bubbles and brine.
Behind all this magic, for both Thuli and Rob, lies some impressive plumbing:
- Tokenised credentials: AI agents don’t get the full credit card—they get a token, limited in scope, time, value, and merchant category.
- Programmable spending rules: Want your AI to only shop during daylight hours? Set a cap? Block gambling sites? It’s all possible.
- Agent authentication: Digital certificates, behavioural checks, and contextual signals verify that it’s your AI—Thuso or Capri—not someone else’s, spending on your behalf.
- Stablecoin clearing: Transactions settle in stablecoins, with auto-conversion at point-of-sale for merchants who prefer fiat.
These systems are already in prototype or production phases at Visa and Mastercard. The rails are being laid. The bots are getting licensed. The wallets are getting smarter.
Final Thought:
Agentic payments represent a foundational shift in financial agency—where everyday people can delegate tasks to AI assistants that act on their behalf, using programmable money, across borders, 24/7. For Africa, this could mean a future where buying school
uniforms in Gaborone, paying remittances to Lusaka, or ordering caviar in Cape Town happens seamlessly—coordinated by agents fluent in your needs, your language, and your limits.
Yes, there are risks. AI isn’t perfect. Digital trust must be earned. Stablecoins need regulatory scaffolding. And financial literacy can’t be replaced by automation. But here’s the thing: for every challenge, there’s an opportunity to build something better.
Something more inclusive. More local. More resilient.
Because in the not-so-distant future, your financial life might not revolve around apps or branches, but around an assistant—smart, secure, and quietly handling your to-do list in the background.