The Paytech Betting Big on Emerging Markets

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🗺️ Scaling Payments Where It Matters Most

While many payment providers stay fixated on mature markets, the real momentum is surging in places that are too often overlooked. Across South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, booming populations, mobile-first behavior, and rapid innovation are reshaping how people pay—and what they expect from the brands they trust.

For global merchants, these regions hold massive potential—but also complex challenges. UK-based paytech PayFuture sees that complexity as an opportunity.

🏗️ Built for the Markets Others Avoid

Launched in 2019, PayFuture has quietly carved a niche: enabling global online businesses to enter high-growth, underserved markets through a single, intelligent payments platform. With no external funding, the company has grown quickly by doing what many skip over—focusing deeply on local nuances that make or break cross-border strategies.

Now, with a new EMI licence in Malta, the appointment of industry veteran Praful Morar as Deputy CEO, and fintech legal expert Sanda Laicena as Group Chief Legal Officer, PayFuture is entering a bold new chapter.

We spoke to CEO Manpreet (Mani) Haer and Morar to learn more about their vision for growth—and why emerging markets are the future of global payments.

🔄 A Career Reignited: Why Morar Joined PayFuture

After 25 years leading payment strategy at firms like WorldPay, SafeCharge, and Nuvei, Praful Morar wasn’t looking for “just another role.” He was seeking a mission worth scaling.

“I wanted something that would really get me excited again,” says Morar. “When I looked at PayFuture, I saw a business with huge potential—and one I could help grow into a global processor.”

Morar was drawn not just by PayFuture’s strategy, but by its bold focus on non-traditional markets: “Everyone plays in the US, UK, and Europe. PayFuture is different—it’s going after Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East. That’s my sweet spot.”

🌍 Why Emerging Markets Matter

For CEO Mani Haer, the decision to focus on emerging markets was never a side bet—it was core to PayFuture’s founding idea.

“Eighty-five percent of the world’s population lives in emerging markets,” Haer explains. “These economies are growing fast, and mobile adoption is skyrocketing. It’s where the future is.”

PayFuture’s model helps online merchants enter these regions by offering local payment methods, regulatory support, and settlement solutions tailored to each country’s reality.

“If we can make payments work the way people expect locally—while letting merchants settle globally—we’re giving them the best of both worlds,” Haer says. “That’s exciting.”

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🧠 Local Knowledge = Global Advantage

Operating in these markets is no plug-and-play task. Regulation, consumer behavior, language, infrastructure—it all varies, and changes quickly.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all,” says Morar. “Cash still dominates in many of these regions, and understanding how consumers are transitioning to digital is key. You need local insights, not just technology.”

That’s where PayFuture stands apart: it doesn’t try to impose a one-size-fits-all model. Instead, it customizes its approach market by market.

“We’re not just solving for payments,” says Haer. “We’re absorbing the complexity—compliance, licensing, integration—so the merchant doesn’t have to.”

🏙️ What Growth Looks Like on the Ground

PayFuture’s expansion focuses on regions where payment behavior is evolving quickly. In Vietnam, Morar highlights a young, mobile-savvy population navigating unique currency and language barriers. In India, the government’s push for digital inclusion is opening access to hundreds of millions.

Haer points to Bangladesh and Egypt as markets seeing strong digital momentum. And in Saudi Arabia, government investment and the upcoming 2034 FIFA World Cup are bringing fintech to the forefront.

“Each of these regions has distinct payment rails and consumer habits,” says Haer. “Our job is to connect the dots for merchants.”

📈 Building for the Next Phase

With early success behind them, PayFuture is now doubling down. The company’s new EMI licence in Malta is the first of several regulatory milestones aimed at expanding its global footprint.

“We’re putting the right people, processes, and infrastructure in place to scale,” says Morar. “Our goal is to grow tenfold in five years. That means going deeper into Africa, GCC, Latin America, Asia.”

PayFuture is also scaling its technology and partner network to handle rising transaction volumes and regulatory demands.

“The more we grow, the more complexity we absorb,” says Haer. “But that’s our job—so merchants can focus on growth.”

🚀 Enabling the Next Billion Transactions

At the heart of PayFuture’s model is a simple promise: unlock opportunity in places others ignore.

“We help merchants go where the growth is—and remove the barriers,” says Haer. “That’s how we win. That’s how they win.”

As emerging markets continue to leapfrog in digital adoption, one thing is clear: the future of payments won’t be defined by the usual suspects. And with PayFuture, global merchants may just have the partner they need to lead that future.