A UK-regulated fintech company, Bluebulb, is redefining the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector by addressing a critical industry bottleneck, the payment delays that have long hampered supply chain efficiency across Africa.
While FMCG products move from factory to shelf in 24 hours, international supplier payments have traditionally taken 2-5 business days through conventional banking systems, a paradox that industry experts say costs African businesses millions annually in operational inefficiencies and competitive advantages.
The Payment Problem Costing FMCG Millions
Traditional banking infrastructure often operates on a T+2 settlement timeline for international transfers, with real-world delays often extending to T+5 or longer due to correspondent banking chains, compliance holds, and weekend processing gaps.
“The average cost of production in the FMCG sector rose by 67% in the first half of 2024 compared to 2023. When you combine that with 5-7 day payment delays, it has created working capital crises for these companies. This is why we decided to provide an instant settlement solution to close this gap. We are not just moving money, we are moving it with speed.” explains Solomon Izevbekhai, Group Head of Treasury at Bluebulb.
For FMCG companies operating on razor-thin margins with high product turnover, these payment delays create cascading problems: inventory management nightmares, strained supplier relationships, working capital inefficiencies, and competitive disadvantages.
Bluebulb’s cross-border payment infrastructure delivers same-day (T+0) settlements to the USA, UK, and EU, with next-day (T+1) settlements to China, fundamentally redesigning international payment timelines for African businesses.
Beyond payments, Bluebulb is introducing Orbita, its Treasury-as-a-Service platform that gives CFOs, treasury managers, and finance teams real-time visibility into global payments, plus analytics for faster, data-driven decision-making.
Case Study: A Nigerian packaged food & beverage manufacturer in focus
A confidential case study involving one of Nigeria’s largest beverage manufacturers, with annual revenues exceeding ₦150 billion, demonstrates the operational transformation Bluebulb enables.
Before partnering with Bluebulb, the company’s international payment timeline stretched 3-5 days from initiation to supplier receipt. After partnering with Bluebulb, the same payments now settle within 24 hours.
Over 60% of the company’s tied-up working capital from delayed payments was unlocked, directly improving their supplier reliability, inventory turnover, production planning, competitive agility in high-velocity markets. These gains underscore that payment speed is not a convenience, it’s a performance lever.
Bluebulb currently serves hundreds of businesses across various industries, including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, aviation, telecommunications, and more. The company emphasizes that its settlement timelines represent standard operating procedures for all clients, not premium services or best-case scenarios.
Bluebulb is set to launch its Treasury-as-a-Service platform, Orbita, a web application designed to help treasury managers, CFOs, and finance teams gain real-time visibility into global payments. The platform also provides powerful analytics to support smarter, data-driven business decisions.
As African FMCG companies face increasing competitive pressure and rising production costs, payment speed is emerging as a critical differentiator, positioning Bluebulb’s instant settlement as an advantage for the sector’s next phase of growth.
About Bluebulb
Bluebulb is a global payment and treasury management company specializing in instant cross-border payment solutions for African businesses. The company provides T+0 settlements to the USA, UK, and EU, with T+1 settlements to China.
For more information about Bluebulb’s instant global payment solutions, visit www.bluebulb.co.uk or contact the company directly.
