Guinea launched NimbaPay, its first national instant payment network, giving banks, mobile money providers and microfinance institutions a shared platform to process real-time transactions as the West African nation accelerates efforts to modernize its financial system.
The platform was developed by the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea and implemented by Guinéenne de Monétique. It enables interoperable payments across participating financial institutions, allowing customers to transfer money instantly regardless of where their accounts are held.
The launch is aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on cash while widening access to affordable digital financial services. By replacing a fragmented payments landscape with a single national infrastructure, authorities expect the system to improve efficiency, lower transaction costs and support broader financial inclusion for consumers and businesses.
NimbaPay was built on the open-source Mojaloop platform with technical and strategic support from AfricaNenda Foundation, which has backed the rollout of instant payment systems across the continent. The foundation said Guinea joins Rwanda and Liberia among African countries that have deployed national interoperable payment infrastructure with its support.
The rollout also supports Guinea’s Simandou 2040 development strategy, which seeks to diversify the economy and strengthen digital public infrastructure alongside the development of the country’s vast iron ore resources. Future phases of the platform are expected to introduce government payments, public administration services and regional cross-border transaction capabilities.
“Each new instant payment system brings us closer to an Africa where individuals and businesses can transfer money instantly, safely and affordably,” Robert Ochola, managing director of AfricaNenda, said in a statement. “We are confident that NimbaPay will expand access to digital financial services, drive innovation and create new opportunities for individuals and businesses throughout Guinea.”
Guinea’s launch comes as governments and central banks across Africa accelerate investments in national instant payment infrastructure to improve financial inclusion and reduce the cost of digital transactions. Countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Zambia have rolled out interoperable payment systems that connect banks and, in many cases, mobile money operators, enabling real-time transfers across different financial institutions.
Nigeria’s NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) is among the continent’s largest real-time payment networks, while Ghana’s GhIPSS Instant Pay pioneered interoperability between banks and mobile money providers. Tanzania’s TIPS, Kenya’s PesaLink and South Africa’s PayShap have similarly expanded instant retail payments, reflecting a broader shift toward digital public infrastructure across Africa.
The continent is also moving beyond domestic interoperability. Regional initiatives such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), backed by Afreximbank, are working to connect national payment networks, allowing businesses and consumers to make cross-border payments in local currencies without relying on correspondent banking networks. Guinea’s planned expansion of NimbaPay to support regional transactions aligns with that broader push toward an integrated African payments ecosystem.