Odoo joins forces with Network International to simplify SME payments in Africa

By Nhlanhla Muthe

Patrick Lukusa, Managing Director of Odoo Kenya

Odoo has joined forces with Network International, the continent’s fastest-growing online payment gateway, to simplify online payments for African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The open-source business software giant described the move as a significant step to accelerate digital commerce in Africa.

The partnership sees DPO Pay by Network fully integrated into the Odoo platform, enabling SMEs across East and Southern Africa to accept card payments and mobile money directly within their Odoo systems. This means businesses can now manage operations and payments through a single, unified interface, with real-time dashboards and fraud protection built in.

“Whether it is mobile money or cards, our users now have a tool that adapts to their customers’ needs,” said Patrick Lukusa, Managing Director of Odoo Kenya. The integration addresses a long-standing challenge faced by African merchants of fragmented payment systems and the high cost of third-party integrations.

Established as Odoo’s Africa hub in 2022, Lukusa emphasised that the Nairobi office has been instrumental in localising the company’s enterprise tools for the region. After receiving consistent feedback from local users, Odoo identified seamless payment processing as a critical need.

“Many of our clients were already using DPO Pay through third-party tools. Now it’s natively embedded — this is a major leap forward,” he said.

From Network International’s side, the deal extends its reach to a wide base of Odoo users across some of Africa’s most dynamic economies. Judy Waruiru, Regional Managing Director for Eastern Africa at Network International, stressed that the integration “makes payments smarter,” blending ease of use with bank-grade security.

Analysts believe the collaboration will improve cash-flow management, reduce cart abandonment, and support broader adoption of cash-lite and cross-border business models. It also signals growing momentum for fintech collaboration in Africa’s evolving digital economy.

For African SMEs aiming to scale digitally, this integration eliminates technical barriers and unlocks faster settlement cycles, critical for growth in e-commerce.

As demand for digital services surges, Odoo and Network International are betting on simplicity, local relevance, and security to empower Africa’s next wave of online entrepreneurs.