US Visa Bond Blocks African Founders Starting Jan 21 + ArifPay Acquires Jami in Ethiopia's First M&A + Ghana Passes Crypto Regulation Framework
Trump administration requires $5K-$15K bonds for 20+ African countries. Ethiopian fintech closes first tech acquisition. Ghana legalizes virtual asset ecosystem. | Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Three stories define African tech’s new operating environment in 2026.
The Trump administration revived a visa bond program requiring founders, investors, and executives from 20+ African countries to post refundable bonds of $5,000-$15,000 for US B1/B2 visas starting January 21, 2026—locking up 1-3 months of working capital for early-stage startups and restricting access to US-based investors who back more than a third of African venture deals.
In Ethiopia, ArifPay acquired virtual tipping platform Jami for 16 million Birr, marking Ethiopia’s first tech M&A and signaling ecosystem maturity.
Ghana’s parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) Bill, establishing formal regulation for crypto and digital assets, positioning Ghana as one of Africa’s most crypto-friendly jurisdictions.
US Visa Bond Blocks African Founders Starting Jan 21—Trump Policy Locks Up Startup Working Capital
The Trump administration revived a visa bond program requiring founders, investors, executives, and freelancers from more than 20 African countries to post refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 when applying for US business and tourist visas (B1/B2), with most implementation dates set for January 21, 2026.
The countries affected
Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, The Gambia, Gabon, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Burundi, Cabo Verde, and others.
The requirements
Applicants must:
Complete a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration bond form
Submit payment through the US Treasury’s online platform
Enter the US only through three designated airports: Boston Logan, JFK, and Washington Dulles
Receive the bond refund only after exiting the US before their authorized stay expires
The stated rationale
On paper, the directive aims to curb visa overstays.
In reality, it creates significant barriers for Africa’s most globally connected industry—tech.
Impact on early-stage startups
For African startups raising between $50,000 and $250,000 in seed capital, the $10,000 bond is equivalent to locking up one to three months of working capital.
Sending multiple team members to US conferences or investor meetings becomes prohibitively expensive.
The policy favors founders backed by international capital or institutional investors who can front the bond. Those without liquidity—including many women and young entrepreneurs—will travel less frequently or not at all.
Impact on fundraising
The US remains one of the most significant sources of capital for African startups.
In recent years, US-linked venture funds participated in more than a third of major African venture deals.
Face-to-face engagement matters in investor due diligence, especially in a risk-sensitive funding climate. The visa bond policy tilts the scales further toward founders who already have US-based networks, creating an access gap.
Impact on accelerators
Accelerator programs—long seen as a bridge between African startups and Silicon Valley—may feel the effects most acutely.
In-person residencies require several weeks in the US. Some accelerators may reduce the number of African founders invited in person or shift to virtual-only cohorts.
The alternative
African founders will increasingly prioritize European and Asian investors, attend Dubai and London conferences instead of US events, and build relationships with non-US accelerators.
This accelerates capital diversification away from Silicon Valley but reduces access to the world’s deepest venture capital pools.
Why it matters
The visa bond program represents structural exclusion disguised as immigration enforcement.
By requiring African founders to post bonds equivalent to months of working capital—while founders from Europe, Asia, and Latin America face no such barriers—the policy creates unequal access to US investors, accelerators, and networks.
The unintended consequence
African founders will build less dependency on US capital, accelerating the growth of non-US funding ecosystems (Europe, Middle East, Asia, intra-Africa).
In 5-10 years, US investors may find themselves locked out of Africa’s fastest-growing startups because relationships were never built.
ArifPay Acquires Jami for 16M Birr—Ethiopia’s First Tech M&A Signals Ecosystem Maturity
ArifPay, a four-year-old Ethiopian fintech company, acquired a majority stake in Jami, a virtual tipping platform founded by Nathan Damtew, for 16 million Birr (approximately $130,000 USD)—marking Ethiopia’s first tech M&A transaction.
What ArifPay does
Founded as a payment operator, ArifPay has increasingly broadened its business portfolio beyond its primary offering, expanding into merchant services, digital wallets, and now social payments through the Jami acquisition.
