Djamo vs Wave
short answerBoth are traditional neobanks with similar positioning — the real differences are FX markup, fees, license and geography, compared field by field below.
Djamo: YC-backed francophone-Africa neobank; 1M+.
Wave: Radically cheap mobile money; 10M+ users.
Side by side
| Djamo | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | traditional | traditional |
| Audience | underbanked | underbanked |
| HQ | Abidjan, CI | Dakar, SN |
| Founded | 2019 | 2018 |
| Custody | Custodial | Custodial |
| Regulation | Partner-bank model | E-money institution |
| License detail | Microfinance license (BCEAO / Côte d'Ivoire MEF, Sep 2025 — first fintech); cards with partner banks | First non-telecom e-money issuer (BCEAO) |
| Card | Visa · Debit | No card |
| Cashback | — | — |
| Yield | — | — |
| FX markup | — | — |
| Services | — | — |
| Stablecoins | No | No |
| KYC | Yes | Yes |
| Regions | Africa | Africa |
| Reported users | — | — |
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.