Bridging the Gap: Strategies and Roles of Chinese Fintech Entrepreneurs and Startups in Sub-Sahara African Markets

Abstract

This thesis examines the strategies and operational practices of Chinese fintech entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan African markets, with a focus on how they navigate regulatory fragmentation, localize business models, and build trust in low-infrastructure environments. Drawing on fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with founders, executives, and product leads from fifteen China-linked fintech firms across Nigeria, Kenya, and Francophone Africa, the study investigates how these actors engage with underdeveloped financial systems while adapting knowledge and models from China’s digital finance ecosystem. The research identifies several distinct approaches to market entry and adaptation, including platform integration, compliance-focused positioning, and informal ecosystem engagement. Findings suggest that these ventures do not simply export Chinese models but instead reconfigure them in response to local constraints in regulation, consumer trust, and institutional capacity. By analyzing firm-level strategies in diverse regulatory and market settings, this study contributes to broader discussions on transnational entrepreneurship, financial infrastructure development, and the evolving role of private actors in advancing digital inclusion across emerging economies.