AfricaNenda, a nonprofit backed by the Gates Foundation, has accelerated digital payment systems development in five African markets including Rwanda, Cabo Verde, Mauritania, South Sudan, and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region.
- •The projects are part of a broader strategy to foster inclusive instant payment systems (IIPS)—infrastructure that enables fast, low-cost digital transactions among banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
- •These systems are regarded as vital components of Africa’s digital public infrastructure, aiming to connect the continent’s 400 million financially excluded adults.
- •AfricaNenda collaborates with project owners to assess economic feasibility, define objectives, structure payment systems, and provide technical support for scaling digital payment initiatives.
“The payments space in Africa cannot work or exist in a vacuum and will require complementary partnerships. There have been a lot of conversations around digital public infrastructure, resulting in massive growth and awareness regarding instant and inclusive payment systems, driven especially by central banks and national governments,” said Akinwale Goodluck, Deputy CEO, AfricaNenda.
AfricaNenda supported Rwanda in rolling out the Rwandan National Digital Payment System (RNDPS 2.0), a national digital payment switch built on Mojaloop, an open-source platform originally developed by the Gates Foundation. The system is designed to lower transaction costs while enabling interoperability across all licensed payment providers in the country.
What sets Rwanda’s initiative apart is its emphasis on local capacity building. AfricaNenda embedded project managers to ensure technology transfer and self-reliance.
In the island nation of Cabo Verde, AfricaNenda collaborated with the Banco de Cabo Verde to deploy a national payment switch. In 2024, a proof-of-concept involving four commercial banks processed real-time person-to-person payments, a milestone that lays the groundwork for full-scale deployment in 2025.
Mauritania’s central bank also tapped AfricaNenda to help overhaul its payment systems’ regulatory framework and provide technical support to GIMTEL, the national switch. Efforts in 2024 centered on crafting scheme rules and building fraud management systems—an essential step toward fostering trust in digital payments.
South Sudan, one of the continent’s most fragile economies, took early but meaningful steps toward a digital payment future. AfricaNenda supported the central bank in setting up governance structures and digital infrastructure planning. Officials say these efforts will pave the way for a full rollout in 2025.
Perhaps the most ambitious is AfricaNenda’s collaboration with GIMAC, the regional switch for the six-member CEMAC bloc. Training sessions, technical assessments, and a focus on merchant adoption aim to turn GIMACPAY into a model for interoperable cross-border payments.
“AfricaNenda’s mandate is clear: to develop the infrastructure, policies, and partnerships needed to ensure every African can participate in the digital financial ecosystem. We recognize that this is a collective effort requiring the engagement of governments, financial institutions, technology providers, and development partners within and beyond Africa,” said the CEO, Robert Ochola.
