About Us

OPENSWITCH AFRICA

Our Story

From fragmented systems to a connected continent.

Africa is home to over 1.4 billion people, a majority of whom are underserved by existing financial infrastructure. For decades, payments across the continent have been limited by siloed systems, closed-loop platforms, and vendor lock-in – making it expensive and difficult to send or receive money, especially across borders.

OpenSwitch Africa was born from the need for a shared, open-source, interoperable infrastructure that enables seamless financial transactions for everyone – from city dwellers to remote communities, from small businesses to national governments.

We exist to break down technical, institutional, and geographic barriers to payments.

Our Vision

An Africa where everyone can transact freely, safely, and instantly - no matter who they are or where they live.

Our Mission

To democratise digital payment infrastructure across Africa by enabling secure, real-time, and inclusive transactions through an open, interoperable platform.

The Problem We Solve

The African payments ecosystem is:

Fragmented: Hundreds of unconnected wallets, banks, and services.

Vendor-locked: Dominated by proprietary systems that limit interoperability.

Exclusionary: Leaving out the unbanked, informal sector, and low-income users.

Costly: High transaction fees and inefficiencies restrict financial mobility.

Non-transparent: Limited visibility, oversight, or cross-platform traceability.

OpenSwitch Africa addresses these challenges by:

Creating a hub-based, open-loop infrastructure.

Providing real-time, irrevocable settlement.

Enabling cross-platform, cross-border interoperability.

Embedding pro-poor principles into design and governance.

Supporting open standards and public-good technology.

OUR APPROACH

Open. Inclusive. Built for Africa.

We believe digital infrastructure should serve the public good, not private monopolies. That’s why OpenSwitch Africa is:

Open-source:

Anyone can build with, contribute to, or improve the platform.

Community-driven:

We listen to real needs from governments, fintechs, banks, and users.

Regulation-friendly:

Aligned with national, regional, and continental policies.

Ecosystem-aware:

Designed to complement, not compete with, existing players.

Sustainably governed:

Built on “not-for-loss” operating principles to ensure long-term affordability and access.

Who We Serve

We work with a wide range of stakeholders across Africa’s financial ecosystem:

Central Banks and Regulators:

Modernising national payment infrastructure.

Digital Financial Service Providers (DFSPs):

Enabling cross-platform integration and innovation.

Merchants, NGOs & Governments:

Supporting reliable transactions for commerce, aid, and public services.

Payment Service Providers (PSPs):

Connecting to a broader market through one platform.

Microfinance & Mobile Money Operators:

Reaching underserved populations more effectively.

Our Partners & Affiliations

Meet the Team

We’re a diverse team of technologists, economists, and financial inclusion experts working across Africa.