Interoperable payment systems improve the efficiency and effectiveness of retail and cross-border payments. Cenfri worked with BankservAfrica on a white paper that assesses the state of cross border payments within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). We examined the challenges in the cross-border payment market, and how instant payment systems like the Transactions Cleared on an Immediate Basis (TCIB) system contribute to the livelihood of millions across Africa.

Read the report to see our findings on the following questions:

• What is the current cost of formalising transactions in the retail sector?
• What is the significance of interoperability through open loop instant payment systems?
• What are the challenges for SADC providers?
• What are the middle-mile challenges?
• What are the benefits of a centralised payment platform?

This paper follows our work on the State of Instant Payment Systems 2022 and 2023. For more information on this, contact antonia@cenfri.org