The UK Department for Business and Trade sent its Regional Director for Anglophone West Africa, Mark Smithson, and Ghana Country Director Jo Ann Sackey to Hubtel's offices in Kokomlemle on 9 April for what both sides described as a strategic engagement.
Hubtel CFO Jonathan Ansah said the discussions covered market entry support and the DBT's networks. He said the conversations were as practical as they were strategic. Smithson said Ghana is emerging as one of Africa's most dynamic hubs for fintech and digital trade and that the UK has become a natural springboard for African fintech founders.
The visit came one day after Invest Africa and the Ghana High Commission in London announced a strategic partnership including a Ghana Investment Summit, with President Mahama set to keynote The Africa Debate at the Guildhall on 3 June. The timing suggests a coordinated UK-Ghana engagement push. The UK's broader "From Donor to Investor" Africa programme, launched in December 2025, frames the shift explicitly: private capital, not aid.
Hubtel generates over $110 million in annual revenue, processes 10 million daily transactions across 2.2 million monthly active users, and has never taken external venture capital. The company was founded in 2005 as SMSGH by Alex Bram, Ernest Apenteng, and Leslie Gyimah. It now employs more than 650 people across 23 offices in Ghana.
No MoU or formal partnership was announced. The emphasis on capital market opportunities in the readout suggests Hubtel may be exploring what a London listing or UK capital raise could look like. Ansah said you want to have your house in order when the right opportunity presents itself.
