Grace Ashiru
Visa, the global leader in digital payments, and Zazu, a fintech dedicated to entrepreneurs and SMEs, are announcing a strategic partnership to offer the first fully online business account for entrepreneurs and SMEs in Morocco. This partnership strengthens Zazu’s offering and will support the progressive rollout of Visa Business cards, which will enhance the experience for entrepreneurs in the coming weeks.
More than 300 companies are already clients, including Jobzyn, Auto24, Yakeey, and Votre Chauffeur.ma. This launch is built on a strategic partnership with Visa and Chari, along with a pre-seed round from leading international funds.
Key figures
- Over 300 business accounts opened before public launch
- Account opened in 10 minutes, 100% online
- Integrated invoicing and payments
The problem
In Morocco, opening a business account still takes several weeks. Entrepreneurs juggle manual processes, opaque fees, and banking tools designed for another era.
“Too many entrepreneurs waste time chasing their advisor, navigating overly complex interfaces, or disputing surprise fees. Zazu simplifies their banking experience.” — Germain Bahri, co-founder of Zazu
A complete, simple, and modern solution
Zazu brings together everything an entrepreneur needs in a single application:
- Business account opened in minutes, without paperwork
- Visa Business cards for the entire team
- Integrated invoicing: create and send an invoice in under a minute
- Payment links: get paid three times faster, with no need to share bank details
- Real-time expense tracking with customizable roles and access
“SMEs are the engine of the economy, yet they remain held back by outdated systems. Zazu finally gives them tools that match their ambitions.” — Rinse Jacobs, co-founder of Zazu
A pan-African vision, backed by leading players
Zazu operates through a strategic partnership with Chari, a key player in the Moroccan fintech ecosystem, providing access to technological infrastructure, a payment license, and market expertise.
“Zazu represents a new era for fintechs, and we are proud to support them in this mission.” — Ismael Belkhayat, founder of Chari
“The Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program was designed to support the emergence of startups like Zazu, which are transforming access to financial services across the continent. Seeing Zazu move from the program to market with such a polished offering demonstrates the power of collaboration within this ecosystem.” — Godfrey Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Product and Solutions, Visa
The startup is backed by international investment funds — Plug and Play, Bell Ventures, and Ryad Ventures — as well as business angels from Solarisbank, Qonto, and Paymentology, alongside recognized figures from the Moroccan ecosystem: Ismael Belkhayat (Chari), Mohamed Benmansour (Binga / Nuitée), and Youssef Koun (Wonderful & Co.).
Why Morocco, why now
Announced at GITEX Africa 2026 in Marrakech, this partnership comes at an opportune moment. Morocco has established itself as the leading tech hub in French-speaking North Africa, capturing 75% of regional venture funding according to Partech, with a record $94 million raised by its startups in 2024 (UM6P Ventures). The Kingdom boasts one of the most mature banking infrastructures on the continent. Yet until now, entrepreneurs have had no financial tool designed for them that is 100% digital and 100% local. This is precisely the gap that Zazu is filling.
