Africa has set itself an ambitious goal: to build an integrated digital society and economy by 2030. At the centre of this vision lies the ability to trade and transact across borders with minimal friction. Payments are at the core of this transformation, and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System PAPSS , launched in 2022, was designed to provide that foundation.
Backed by Afreximbank and the African Union, PAPSS promised to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper, and more accessible by allowing direct settlement in local currencies. As of August 2025, 18 African countries have joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System PAPSS network, connecting multiple regions across the continent through their central banks and numerous commercial banks. Transactions could clear in seconds, and the system was built on global standards to ensure reliability and security.
In practice, however, the experience has been less seamless. Many users still struggle to move money easily across borders. Mobile money wallets, which millions rely on daily, remain largely disconnected. As a result, workarounds such as card transfers or manual approvals are still common. This gap between the system's potential and its current impact highlights one of Africa's most persistent digital challenges: interoperability.
