Journeying through Africa

AfricaNenda and GIMAC recently hosted a workshop in Douala, Cameroon, to drive financial inclusion and digital innovation across Central Africa. The workshop, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2023, gathered participants from various Central African countries to deepen understanding of inclusive payment systems, use-cases, and best practices outlined in the MoU.

The focus of the workshop was to enhance interoperability, drive digital payments, and expand financial access throughout the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Valentin MBOZO’O, General Manager of GIMAC, highlighted the importance of developing and improving the instant and inclusive payment system, specifying key performance indicators, and enhancing the monitoring of the GIMACPAY ecosystem to include populations currently excluded from the financial system.

Jamelino Akogbeto, West Africa Regional Director at AfricaNenda, expressed excitement about the collaboration with GIMAC and the workshop’s goal to refine scheme rules, ensure inclusivity within the GIMAC payment scheme, and explore innovative solutions for merchant payments and cross-border remittances to drive progress in digital payments and financial accessibility across Central Africa.

The workshop included interactive sessions and discussions focused on enhancing the use case for merchant payments, conducting an impact assessment of interoperability, and integrating QR codes into the merchant network to facilitate secure and convenient transactions. These initiatives aim to stimulate economic development and digital financial inclusion in the Central African region.