MFS Africa, the largest pan-African digital payments hub, says it has completed its acquisition of Capricorn Digital Limited, known in the market as Baxi.

The transaction was first announced in November 2021 pending approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has now been granted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Baxi is one of Nigeria’s largest independent SME-focused electronic payment networks, with over 90,000 agents.

It provides a cash-in/cash-out offering as well as value-added services (account opening, money transfer, bill payment, and more) to the last mile.

As well as providing entry into the Nigerian market for MFS Africa, the acquisition also provides exciting synergies.

This is as Baxi simplifies and integrates online and offline payments for SMEs and merchants in Nigeria through its omnichannel distribution network, while MFS Africa simplifies cross-border payments and integrates payments via one hub.

Baxi’s growth has accelerated over the last 24 months achieving over US$1.6 billion of transactions in 2021, a statement by MFS Africa said.

According to it, MFS Africa will build Baxi into a key node on its digital payment network, enabling customers to make regional and global payments to and from Nigeria.

Baxi’s distributions network represents a crucial interface for banks, fintech, and other financial services providers to reach Nigeria’s 100 million financially unserved or underserved individuals and small businesses.

Capricorn Digital Limited (Baxi) is one of the largest independent non-bank SME-focused electronic payment networks in Nigeria operating an Omnichannel platform that enables digital payment through mobile, in-store location, online, wallets, and B2B channels.

Its mission is to bring a wide bouquet of digital products and services to the grass root and mass-market consumers through innovation, technology, and a world-class retail distribution.