Lagos, Nigeria// – Clea, the stablecoin-powered cross-border payments platform helping African businesses trade globally, has launched Vendor Payments, a new capability that enables businesses to simplify payments to international suppliers, auction platforms and shipping companies directly through the platform.
Clea surpassed $20 million in transaction volume within six months of emerging from stealth in December 2025, reflecting growing adoption of its cross-border payments platform.
Since its pilot launch, Vendor Payments has already been adopted by more than 50 businesses, demonstrating strong customer demand for solutions that simplify supplier payments and support the growing international ambitions of African businesses.
The feature enables customers to make payments to supported vendors, including vehicle auction platforms Copart and IAA, directly from their Clea account.
Customers simply select their vendor, enter the required payment reference, such as a buyer number, lot number or invoice, and authorise the transaction. With preconfigured vendor information built into the platform, payments can be completed instantly. Additional suppliers and payment destinations will be introduced as the platform continues to expand.
Vendor Payments marks another step in Clea’s evolution beyond cross-border payments, reinforcing its ambition to build the financial infrastructure African businesses need to fund, pay and manage international trade through a single platform.
By bringing supplier payments into the same ecosystem, Clea is expanding the tools available to businesses managing international transactions while reducing operational complexity.
Commenting on the launch, Sheriff Adedokun, Founder and CEO of Clea, said, “African businesses are increasingly trading across borders, but managing international supplier payments remains unnecessarily fragmented.
At Clea, we’re building more than a payments platform; we’re building the financial infrastructure businesses need to trade globally with confidence. Vendor Payments is another step in that journey, giving businesses a faster, simpler and more transparent way to pay trusted suppliers and trading partners while focusing on growing their operations.”
Initially available to eligible verified Clea business customers, Vendor Payments supports USD payments to selected suppliers in the United States. Customers can fund their Clea account in naira, access foreign currency through the platform and complete international payments within a single experience.
Looking ahead, Clea will continue expanding its platform with products that simplify international trade for African businesses. Vendor Payments lays the foundation for a broader global vendor network, enabling customers to discover supported suppliers, manage invoices, build trusted vendor relationships and complete recurring international payments through a single platform.
