The platform aims to shift a cash-heavy economy toward real-time digital transfers, starting with government social grant payments
The Bank of Namibia is on track to launch a national instant payment system this month, enabling real-time transfers around the clock across banks and digital wallets via mobile phones and other widely available devices.
The initiative, first announced in 2024, forms part of the central bank’s 2025–2027 modernisation strategy and builds on strengthened payment system regulations introduced in 2023. Governor Ebson Uanguta has confirmed that several participants have already completed integration and testing.
The platform will initially prioritise government-to-person payments, primarily social grants, before expanding to person-to-person transfers, business payments and broader ecosystem interoperability.
The case for the system is straightforward. While around 78% of Namibians hold bank accounts, cash remains the dominant payment method, particularly in rural areas and among small businesses. That reliance drives up transaction costs and slows economic activity, two problems the new infrastructure is designed to address.
The broader ambition goes beyond speed and convenience. The system is tied to government reforms aimed at reducing transaction costs, deepening financial inclusion and bringing underserved communities further into the formal economy.
A successful launch would put Namibia alongside a growing number of African markets, including South Africa with its PayShap system, building out national instant payment infrastructure as a foundation for digital economic growth.