By Segun Adeyanju
Nigerian fintech firm Moniepoint Inc. has acquired restaurant management startup Orda Africa as part of a strategic push into Africa’s fast-growing food service sector, estimated at $50 billion.
The deal integrates Orda’s cloud-based software into Moniepoint’s business platform, Moniebook, enabling restaurants and food vendors to manage orders, payments, inventory and accounting within a single system.
Speaking on the acquisition, Moniepoint co-founder and CEO Tosin Eniolorunda described the food sector as one of Africa’s most active yet underserved industries, noting that many operators still rely on manual processes.
Founded in 2020, Orda provides digital tools tailored for small and independent restaurants, helping them track sales, streamline kitchen operations and manage stock. Its CEO, Guy Futi, said the merger would allow businesses to combine operational data with financial services such as payments and credit.
The acquisition underscores a broader shift among African fintech firms, which are increasingly expanding beyond payments to offer integrated business tools and financing solutions, particularly for small and informal enterprises.
Africa’s restaurant market is growing rapidly, driven by urbanisation and changing consumer habits. In Nigeria, the sector is projected to reach $19.3 billion by 2030, with annual growth exceeding 11 percent.
Moniepoint, founded in 2015, says it serves over 20 million users and processes more than $250 billion in transactions annually, making it one of Nigeria’s largest merchant acquirers.
Analysts say the integration could unlock access to credit for small food businesses by improving record-keeping and providing lenders with reliable data. The move is also expected to intensify competition in Africa’s emerging food-tech space.
For Moniepoint, the acquisition aligns with its broader ambition to build a comprehensive financial ecosystem around small businesses across the continent.
