OpenSwitch Africa is an open-source payment switch platform built for the African context. It enables secure, real-time, and interoperable transactions between financial institutions, mobile money operators, microfinance providers, merchants, and government entities.
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Is OpenSwitch a product or a public service?
It’s both. OpenSwitch is a Digital Public Good (DPG) – a technical product that is free to adopt and adapt, designed to serve as a shared foundation for national and regional financial ecosystems.
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Who can use OpenSwitch Africa?
Any licensed financial institution, payment service provider, fintech, central bank, or government agency can adopt, integrate, or partner with OpenSwitch.
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How does OpenSwitch differ from existing payment switches?
Unlike many proprietary systems, OpenSwitch:
Uses open standards and open-source code
Supports full interoperability between banks and non-banks
Offers real-time payments with irrevocable settlement
Is built with pro-poor governance and inclusive access in mind
Is cost-efficient and designed for public benefit, not profit
Technology & Integration
01
Is OpenSwitch open-source? Where is the code hosted?
Yes, OpenSwitch is open-source and available under a permissive license. The codebase and documentation are hosted on GitHub.
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How does integration work for financial service providers?
Providers connect via OpenSwitch’s secure, standards-based APIs. Integration typically involves onboarding through an API gateway, configuring identity/auth services, and testing in the sandbox environment.
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Can I deploy OpenSwitch in a private or national setting?
Absolutely. OpenSwitch supports cloud-native, on-premise, and hybrid deployments, depending on your regulatory and infrastructure requirements.
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What kind of support is available for developers?
We offer detailed developer documentation, a sandbox for testing, GitHub issue tracking, and optional onboarding support. More technical guidance is available through our community channels and partner network.
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Does OpenSwitch integrate with Mojaloop or other DPI platforms?
Yes, OpenSwitch is designed to interoperate with Mojaloop and other DPI components (like eKYC or verifiable credentials platforms). It supports modular extensions to align with other public digital systems.
Security & Compliance
01
Is OpenSwitch secure?
Yes. The platform features end-to-end encryption, role-based access control, fraud detection, real-time monitoring, and full audit trails. Security is embedded in every part of the architecture.
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What regulatory frameworks does OpenSwitch comply with?
OpenSwitch aligns with:
The African Union’s Malabo Convention
Local data protection and financial regulations
AML/CFT and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements
Cross-border compliance frameworks such as AfCFTA
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How is fraud prevented on the platform?
OpenSwitch uses behavioural analysis, velocity checks, geo-verification, and shared fraud detection services. These tools reduce the burden on individual providers while enhancing collective resilience.
Use Cases & Scalability
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What types of transactions does OpenSwitch support?
The platform supports:
Person-to-Person (P2P)
Person-to-Business (P2B)
Business-to-Business (B2B)
Business-to-Government (B2G)
Government-to-Person (G2P)
Cross-border and remittance payments
Merchant payments (inward and outward)
Bulk and real-time payments
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Can OpenSwitch be used at national scale?
Yes. OpenSwitch is designed for population-scale deployments and can support high transaction volumes with real-time processing and scalable infrastructure.
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Can small providers or MFIs connect to OpenSwitch?
Absolutely. OpenSwitch supports tiered onboarding and flexible integration options to ensure even smaller institutions can participate.
Community & Support
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How do I join the OpenSwitch Africa community?
You can join our mailing list, contribute to our GitHub repository, or attend our webinars and community calls.
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Can I contribute to the OpenSwitch codebase?
Yes. Contributions are welcome – please follow our contribution guidelines on GitHub. We encourage developers, designers, and ecosystem builders to shape the platform.
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Is OpenSwitch supported by any partners or donors?
OpenSwitch is inspired by global public digital infrastructure efforts and is in dialogue with a growing ecosystem of partners including governments, open-source communities, and development finance institutions.
