Key Findings
- 1Only 11% of intra-SADC mobile money transfers cleared through an interoperable rail in 2025, versus 63% in East Africa's EAPS. The gap is regulatory, not technical.
Overview
Only 11% of intra-SADC mobile money transfers cleared through an interoperable rail in 2025 , compared to 63% for the East African Payment System (EAPS) corridor . That gap frames every conversation about SADC digital integration.
"The corridor economics A $200 mobile-money transfer from Johannesburg to Harare costs an average of 9."
57% of Sub-Saharan African adults remain unbanked — representing the world's largest financial inclusion opportunity.
Mobile-first fintech platforms are uniquely positioned to capture this 350M+ person market.
Why this matters now
SADC's Real-Time Gross Settlement system (SIRESS), operated by the SARB on behalf of the region, has cleared over ZAR 12 trillion cumulatively since 2013 (SARB SIRESS annual review, 2025). But SIRESS is a bank-to-bank RTGS. It does not serve the 195 million mobile money accounts registered across SADC (GSMA, Mar 2026), of which 78 million are 30-day active.
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