The Shift to Real-Time Payments
Real-time payment volumes grew 42% YoY. SMEs prioritise speed — providers without instant rails lose share.
Methodology
Sample size
n=18 instant payment switches
Geography
Pan-Africa — NIBSS, GhIPSS, PesaLink, PayShap, IPN
Period
Q1 2025 – Q1 2026
Volume YoY pulled from central bank statistical bulletins.
Last refreshed 04 Feb 2026
Market Sizing
$38B
TAM (Pan-Africa)
$12.5B
SAM (Addressable)
31.7%
CAGR 2026–2031
4
Key Regions
Regional Breakdown
Source: ACI Worldwide Real-Time Payments Report 2026, BIS Statistics Q4 2025
Signal
Increasing preference for instant transactions — real-time payment volumes grew 42% YoY across key African markets.
Insight
SMEs prioritise speed for cash flow management. Delayed settlement windows of 24–72 hours create liquidity constraints that limit business operations.
Business Implication
Delayed payments limit business growth and push SMEs toward informal channels. Providers without real-time rails lose market share.
Recommended Actions
Enable real-time payment options as default for SME segments
Reduce transaction fees on instant transfers to drive adoption
Integrate with national payment switches (e.g. NIBSS, GhIPSS, RTGS)
Offer instant settlement for merchant acquiring
IdeaToola Advantage
IdeaToola tracks payment preference shifts across 15+ African markets, benchmarking settlement speeds and adoption curves by provider.