Africa's Instant Payment Systems Expand, Yet 400 Million Remain Unbanked
Last year marked a significant breakthrough for Africa as the region's Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (IIPS) experienced substantial growth. This development was highlighted in the 2025 annual report by the AfricaNenda Foundation, which documented record-speed national launches, bold continental policy actions, and a surge in transaction volumes. The findings demonstrate that interoperable, real-time payments are increasingly becoming a reality across the continent.
Payments as a Catalyst for Economic Growth
The AfricaNenda Foundation emphasized a crucial message in its report: payments are not an end goal but serve as the backbone of digital public infrastructure and a catalyst for broader economic growth. Despite the progress, the report noted that approximately 400 million Africans across the continent remain unbanked. Inclusive instant payment systems enable governments to deliver salaries and benefits more efficiently, help small businesses conduct secure transactions, and empower women and rural communities to participate actively in the digital economy.
Rapid Deployment and Implementation Successes
During the year under review, AfricaNenda supported seven IIPS implementation and improvement initiatives and assisted in launching two national systems. These achievements prove that interoperable, real-time payment infrastructure can be deployed in months rather than years. The report reinforces that inclusive instant payments can be delivered faster and more cost-effectively than previously assumed, provided there is strong central bank leadership and coordinated partnerships.
Dr. Robert Ochola, CEO of the AfricaNenda Foundation, stated, "We have broken the myth that national payment systems must take three to four years to launch. In 2025, we moved decisively from preparation to execution. The technology works. The partnerships work. Local ownership is strong. And most importantly, the impact is real."
Case Studies: Liberia and Rwanda
AfricaNenda supported the rollout of Liberia's mobile money-based instant payment system in just 73 days, making it one of the fastest national deployments on the continent. The system initially focused on government-to-person salary payments, allowing public servants to receive wages in under a minute, and has since expanded to include person-to-person transactions. Since its launch, the platform has processed nearly one million transactions totaling more than $11 million, with zero downtime.
Akinwale Goodluck, Deputy CEO of AfricaNenda, commented on Liberia's experience, noting that speed and quality are not mutually exclusive. "When leadership and partnerships are aligned and execution is disciplined, transformation happens quickly," he stated.
In Rwanda, AfricaNenda supported the modernization of eKash in collaboration with RSwitch, the country's National E-payment switch. The upgraded system transitioned to an open-source architecture designed for scalability and long-term independence. The enhanced platform now processes approximately 1.5 million transactions per month, a 40 percent increase compared to 2024, and includes microfinance institutions and savings cooperatives to extend access to underserved communities.
Strengthening the Payments Ecosystem
Beyond national implementations, AfricaNenda continued to strengthen the broader payments ecosystem through advocacy, research, and capacity building. Dr. Ochola emphasized, "Strong payment infrastructure is not just a financial sector priority; it is a development imperative. When payments become instant, affordable, and interoperable, economies move faster and inclusion becomes achievable."
