A Review Of Zap Africa And Paystack; An Intellectual Property Controversy

On 24 March 2025, Paystack, a prominent Nigerian fintech company, unveiled a new application named “Zap” designated to facilitate bank transfers and other financial services. The announcement generated widespread attention, not merely for the product’s innovation, but for the controversy it sparked.

Just hours after the launch, Zap Africa, a cryptocurrency start-up that has been active in Nigeria and across Africa for the past three years issued a strongly worded statement on social media: