Middle east and north africa

From Rail to Real Impact: A New White Paper on Scaling Instant Payments in Africa

Instant (also known as Fast, Real-Time, or Immediate) Payment Systems (IPS) are no longer an experiment on the margins of financial infrastructure. Across Africa, they are fast becoming core national assets—foundational digital public infrastructure with the potential to accelerate financial inclusion, deepen competition, and support economic growth.

Scaling Instant Payments in Africa: Policy Choices for Central Banks

A joint white paper by AfricaNenda Foundation, Arab Monetary Fund, Better Than Cash Alliance, Integral, and the World Bank examining how central banks can address policy, regulatory, governance, trust, and market barriers to scaling inclusive instant payment systems across Africa.

How do countries organize themselves to coordinate digital financial inclusion and digital public infrastructure to drive economic growth? The case of Benin

Benin leads its region in advancing financial inclusion and digital payments through major reforms that expand digital transactions and support inclusive economic growth.

Bre-B: Una Infraestructura Pública Digital para fortalecer la inclusión financiera y la competitividad de Colombia.

Bre‑B busca asegurar la interoperabilidad, disminuir el uso de efectivo y promover la inclusión financiera en Colombia

2025 Newsletter

Reflecting on responsible digital payments for financial inclusion, economic development, and prosperity in 2025

Pagos digitales, negocios reales: cómo América Latina impulsa la inclusión productiva

La digitalización de las mipymes transforma la manera de hacer negocios y redefine la inclusión, la productividad y el futuro económico de la región.

Digital Payments, Real Business: How Latin America and the Caribbean Is Driving Productive Inclusion

The digitalization of MSMEs is transforming the way business is done and redefining inclusion, productivity, and the economic future of the region.

Brewing inclusion: what coffee farmers in Ethiopia are telling us about digital payments

Insights from farmers’ voices in a new 60 Decibels study with the Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Union

Building Trust in Raast Merchant Payments

Secure for users. Accountable for providers. Built to make RAAST as trusted as cash.

How has Côte d’Ivoire integrated responsible digital payments into public hospital care?

This study highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s major step forward in modernizing its public health system with the launch of Santé CIV, an application to streamline digital health payments.

How to digitalize the microfinance sector? Examples from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries

Developed by the Senegalese company GSIE Technology and the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems of Senegal (APSFD-Senegal), SUNU NAFA enables even the smallest microfinance institutions to serve clients in remote rural areas. Customers can now complete transactions safely from home, saving time, reducing travel costs, and avoiding exposure to physical risks.

How has Senegal made responsible digital payments a catalyst for universal health coverage?

This study highlights Senegal’s transformative leap toward universal health coverage with SEN-CSU, a public digital platform that enables responsible and inclusive enrollment and payment for health insurance.

Acelerando la integración económica de la población migrante en Colombia a través de monederos móviles. Tercera parte.

Parte 3: Los resultados del piloto demuestran que los monederos móviles mejoran el bienestar de las personas migrantes

Acelerando la integración económica de la población migrante en Colombia a través de monederos móviles. Segunda parte.

Parte 2: Un piloto para extender los beneficios de los pagos digitales a la población migrante

Acelerando la integración económica de la población migrante en Colombia a través de monederos móviles. Primera parte.

Parte 1: Colombia: un campo de pruebas para la innovación en la distribución de recursos para poblaciones vulnerables.

Scaling merchant payments on RAAST: a responsible pricing blueprint for Pakistan

Affordable for merchants. Sustainable for providers. Built for Pakistan’s instant payment system.

The Tracks Are Laid, Now We Need More Traffic

Unlocking digital inclusion for women in Jordan

Jordan has improved financial inclusion, but women, youth, small businesses, and refugees still face major barriers to accessing digital financial services.

Digital wages can unlock women’s economic power in Bangladesh