AFRICA – DPO Group (DPO), online commerce platform, has announced that it is being acquired by Network International Holdings plc, a provider of technology-enabled payments solutions to merchants and financial institutions across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Network International will now take full control of DPO Group in what the two are calling a landmark deal for the African payments space. DPO group, which is currently operating across 19 African will, however, continue to operate under the same brand.
“This deal represents a significant milestone for the pan-African payments landscape and the customers and businesses we serve,” Eran Feinstein, CEO of DPO Group said.
“Combining the two companies will allow us to broaden our offering for new and existing customers, significantly improving capacity for Africa’s merchants to do business not only across the continent but in the Middle East as well as globally.”
Commenting on the acquisition, Simon Haslam, Network International’s Chief Executive Officer said the acquisition will strengthen their strategic framework by combining both businesses’ activities across the African market.”
“This deal will also enhance our offering in the payments value chain by presence on both sides of the transaction, acquiring and issuing, and accelerate our future growth. Together, we have a powerful combination to accelerate digital payments across our regions and offer a one-stop-shop solution for merchants, with multiple payment acceptance methods,” he said.
DPO Group will retain its executive team and employees, as it continues to expand and will drive the payments agenda of the larger group within the African continent and the Middle East.
The acquisition will also see DPO Group’s shareholders and executives become key stakeholders in Network International.
The deal is expected to close by the end of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory and anti-trust.
Headquartered in Dubai and listed on the London Stock Exchange, Network International is a leading pan-regional provider of digital payment solutions, with presence across the entire payments value chain, delivering integrated omnichannel payments services to its customers.
The 100% acquisition of DPO Group will support Network International’s capabilities in Africa across online, mobile and alternative payments as well as providing merchant and MNO relationships and increasing the cross-selling opportunities to both DPO and Network International’s customers.
DPO Group is already a high growth business, with revenue CAGR of c.40% from 2017-2019. This transaction enables DPO to add point of sale payment solutions to its product portfolio, connecting DPO to acquirers and issuers across the African continent and enabling DPO to penetrate the Middle East market for the first time.
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