Africa Just Connected Its Money And It Changes Everything

For decades, sending money between two African countries was slower and more expensive than sending it between Africa and Europe. That is finally changing and QR Pay Africa is right at the centre of it. Through the PAPSS network and Pesalink, customers across 19 countries can now send money directly to any QR Pay Africa Wallet in local currencies, 24 hours a day, with no correspondent bank delays.  

What PAPSS actually is and why it matters;
PAPSS stands for Pan-African Payment and Settlement System. It was launched by the African Export-Import Bank to do one thing: let African countries pay each other directly, in their own currencies, without routing money through New York, London, or Paris.

Before PAPSS, a business in Ghana paying a supplier in Kenya would typically route that payment through a US dollar correspondent bank, paying fees at every stop and waiting days for settlement. PAPSS cuts out the middlemen entirely. The money moves continent-to-continent as simply as it moves city to city. 

The 19 countries now connected.
The network spans North, East, West, and Southern Africa connecting some of the continent's most active trade corridors.  

What this means for QR Pay Africa users.
QR Pay Africa is built on Choice Bank's BaaS infrastructure. That means every QR Pay Africa wallet is already connected to this network. As the PAPSS corridors expand and Choice Bank deepens its integrations, QR Pay Africa users will be among the first to benefit from truly seamless Pan-African money movement.  

Think about what that means practically. A Kenyan trader buying goods from a supplier in Ghana. A Tanzanian family supporting a relative in Zambia. A Rwandan startup paying a developer in Nigeria. Transactions that once took three to five business days and cost 5–10% in fees could soon be as instant and inexpensive as tapping a QR code.  

The bigger picture
Africa's intra-continental trade represents only about 15% of total African exports compared to 60% within Europe and 58% within Asia. One of the biggest reasons for that gap has always been the friction and cost of moving money between African countries. PAPSS, Pesalink, and the banks building on top of them are directly attacking that problem.  

Choice Bank choosing to integrate with both PAPSS and Pesalink simultaneously connecting 160 plus banks and 80 plus Pesalink partners in one announcement signals just how seriously the infrastructure layer of African finance is being taken right now. 

We are watching it closely. And we are building QR Pay Africa to be ready for every corridor it opens. 

Start sending money across borders here; https://qrpayafrica.com/register