Moscow concentrates on Africa to build sanctions-proof financial systems

Recent job postings on publicly accessible vacancy websites suggest Russia is stepping up efforts to expand alternative payment systems across Africa, highlighting a growing focus on financial networks designed to bypass Western sanctions.

One such listing, aimed at recruiting staff in West Africa, was posted by A7, a sanctions-hit crypto payments platform reportedly backed by a wealthy oligarch and a state-linked defence-sector bank. The move aligns with Moscow’s broader push to deepen its economic footprint across the continent, according to an analysis conducted by the Financial Times.

Russia has increased its engagement in Africa in recent years, building political influence following a series of coups in the Sahel and Madagascar, while also signing new trade and military agreements.

A7 and its partners may be attempting to “integrate their operation into the Kremlin’s larger strategic machine in Africa,” said Elise Thomas, senior investigator at the Centre for Information Resilience.

The company opened an office in Lagos last autumn and announced another in Harare. However, Thomas noted that it remains unclear whether these offices are fully operational, as they maintain only a limited online presence.

Even so, analysts say the initiative reflects Moscow’s broader strategy to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions. Platforms like A7 are employing alternative financial tools—including stablecoins and promissory notes—to facilitate international transactions and keep the rouble circulating globally. The company has claimed in promotional materials that it processes up to 19% of Russia’s foreign trade transactions.

“Originally, our international payment platform was conceived as a response to illegally imposed international sanctions,” A7 founder Ilan Șor said last autumn while announcing the Lagos and Harare offices.

“But, as practice has shown, this mechanism has proven to be very effective and convenient. That is why other countries have expressed interest and requested to use our system. And we decided to expand to the African continent,” he added, as cited by Russian outlet Lenta.

A7 promotes its platform as a fast and reliable payments solution for trading partners—something that could appeal to African economies with strong ties to Russia. Zimbabwe, for instance, imports a significant share of its agricultural fertilisers from Russia.

“The project is being implemented with the comprehensive support of government financial agencies of all parties,” said Mikhail Dorofeev, deputy chairman of Promsvyazbank, which backs A7, in comments to Interfax. He described “a shared interest in . . . scaling a stable and sanctions-resilient cross-border settlements system”.

By Nazrin Sadigova