Story by Eugene Nyarko Jnr. | WAGMC, Accra | July 31, 2026
The Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SoftMasters, Dr. Benjamin Adu, has announced the upcoming launch of PayDirect, an AI-powered digital payment platform designed to provide secure payments, e-commerce and agency banking services, with a strong focus on supporting businesses in Ghana’s informal sector.
Speaking during ETHOCON 2026, organised by Ethosec in partnership with PayDirect under the theme, “Securing Ghana’s Digital Future: Trust, Resilience and Shared Responsibility,” at the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), University of Ghana, Legon, Dr. Adu said the PayDirect platform, scheduled for launch in August, combines payment services, e-commerce and banking into a single super app that prioritises convenience, financial inclusion and cybersecurity.
He explained that the platform offers merchants free online storefronts, enabling businesses—especially those in the informal sector—to showcase their products online and transact with customers both locally and internationally.
According to him, customers can simply scan a merchant’s QR code to browse available products, generate invoices and complete payments electronically, reducing queues and eliminating the need for handling cash or searching for exact change.
Dr. Adu noted that Ghana’s informal sector contributes significantly to the country’s economy but continues to face challenges such as poor record-keeping, limited digital presence and cash leakages.
He said PayDirect seeks to address these challenges by helping traders maintain accurate digital transaction records while expanding their businesses through online commerce.
The SoftMasters CEO disclosed that the platform incorporates an AI-powered transaction monitoring and fraud prevention system capable of detecting suspicious transaction patterns and automatically flagging or blocking high-risk accounts before substantial financial losses occur.
He explained that removing excessive human intervention from fraud detection enables the system to respond more quickly to emerging threats and reduce opportunities for criminals to exploit delays in manual processes.
Dr. Adu further announced that PayDirect has partnered with Ghana Post and participating banks to provide agency banking services, allowing customers to access banking services from designated post offices across the country without necessarily visiting bank branches.
To strengthen security, he said all users on the platform will undergo identity verification, while artificial intelligence will continuously monitor transactions against recognised fraud patterns and international sanctions databases to identify suspicious activities.
He noted that the platform adopts banking-grade security standards and encourages users to link their bank accounts, which undergo stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) verification processes than some mobile money registration systems.
Dr. Adu added that PayDirect also integrates messaging and video communication features, enabling buyers and sellers to verify identities before completing transactions, thereby reducing online impersonation and fraud.
Describing PayDirect as more than a payment application, he said it is a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates payments, e-commerce, banking and secure communication into a single platform aimed at promoting financial inclusion, secure digital trade and Ghana’s digital transformation.
