Malawi and Zambia join COMESA digital payment trials
The new digital payment trials promise to reshape how businesses and citizens move money across borders, bringing Africa closer to a truly connected regional economy.
The COMESA Clearing House (CCH) has reached a major milestone in its efforts to modernise regional trade, advancing its Digital Retail Payments Platform (DRPP) to user trials across Malawi and Zambia. The initiative, developed to simplify cross-border transactions using local currencies, aims to make payments faster, cheaper, and more accessible across the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The latest phase involves two digital financial service providers and one foreign exchange provider, marking the successful transition from technical testing to real-world trials. Designed with inclusion and security in mind, the DRPP targets a wide range of users, from small businesses and informal traders to individual citizens, helping to remove long-standing barriers to regional commerce.
CCH has called on governments, financial institutions, and private-sector partners to join this pivotal stage of development, emphasising that collaboration is key to refining the system. Once fully operational, the platform will allow cross-border payments to function as seamlessly as domestic ones, fostering economic growth and trade integration across the region.
By combining innovation with financial cooperation, the COMESA Clearing House continues to build the foundation for a more connected and prosperous regional economy, one where inclusive, digital payments empower businesses and communities alike.
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