Nigerian fintech firm Zest Payments has received two major recognitions at the 2025 MSME Finance and CEO Awards, organised by the Africa Global Economic Forum.
The company was named MSME Fintech Payment Platform of the Year for its innovation, reliability, and growing impact in driving seamless payments for small and medium-scale businesses across Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Zest’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Stanley Jacob, was also honoured as MSME Digital Finance CEO of the Year, a recognition of his leadership, strategic excellence, and contribution to digital transformation in Africa’s financial ecosystem.
The awards highlight Zest’s continued commitment to building efficient and inclusive payment solutions that support entrepreneurship and the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises.
Reacting to the recognition, Dr Jacob expressed appreciation to the organisers and the Zest team, describing the awards as a reflection of their shared mission to simplify business operations through technology.
“This honour underscores the collective effort of our incredible team and partners who share our mission of redefining payments for MSMEs,” he said.
“At Zest, we remain committed to building inclusive, technology-driven solutions that simplify business growth and strengthen the digital economy.”
The MSME Finance and CEO Awards recognise organisations and leaders contributing significantly to financial inclusion, enterprise development, and innovation across Africa’s business landscape.
Zest, a fintech solution developed by Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, provides a “multi-rail” platform that aggregates various payment methods, including bank cards, transfers, USSD, QR codes, and mobile wallets, while offering businesses a single dashboard to track all cash flows.
The Lagos-based startup was launched in 2023.
“Today, businesses must not only accept payments, they must also offer an experience that is fast, fluid, and scalable,” Jacob said.
Zest deploys customized solutions for businesses of all sizes. In the energy sector, for instance, a client operating over 100 gas stations can monitor transactions in real time, link them to inventory, and integrate a loyalty program.
Within the port industry, the platform makes payment collection traceable and aligns it with high-volume logistics operations.
“For Africa’s SMEs and corporates, orchestrated payments are no longer a nice-to-have, they are survival infrastructure,” said Ifeoluwa Adekunle-Yusuf, Vice President of Product and Engineering at Zest.
