Following a recent signing ceremony in Miami, USA to mark an extension of their long-term partnership, Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, and ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software, are set to host customer engagement sessions for key stakeholders in Nigeria and Kenya, with the aim of deepening digital payment and driving sustainable growth across Africa.
The events, themed “Modernizing Digital Payment Infrastructure for Innovation, Growth & Commercial Advantage,” are slated for Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos; and Friday, June 14, 2024, at the Radisson Blu, Upper Hill Nairobi, Kenya.
Africa is a high-potential region for real-time payments, with 8.2 billion real-time payment transactions in 2023, projected to hit 21.7 billion by 2028, a 2023-2028 CAGR of 21.2%, according to the 2024 Prime Time for Real-Time report, published by ACI Worldwide in partnership with GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
ACI Worldwide and Interswitch, whose alliance spans over 20 years, recently extended their long-term partnership to enable Interswitch to offer new innovative products and services in Nigeria and 31 other markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Interswitch will incorporate the full range of payment solutions that form part of the ACI Enterprise Payments Platform into its technology stack, enabling banks and other financial institutions across these markets to transform and modernize their payment infrastructure. Interswitch and ACI are committed to providing innovative digital payment solutions that simplify and enhance payment processes for businesses across the continent.
Conversations during the events will spotlight topical issues and trends, such as cross-border payments, modernization of core payment infrastructure for banks, open banking, card and non-card payment schemes, and securing transactions with next-generation technology stack, among other issues that are shaping the payment ecosystem across the continent.
The events are expected to bring together industry experts, thought leaders, C-suite executives, and other stakeholders to explore the latest advancements and trends in the industry. Attendees will gain insight from panel sessions, insightful presentations, and networking opportunities.
Speaking on the forthcoming events, Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Group Managing Director, Interswitch Limited said:
“We are thrilled to host the customer engagement events in collaboration with our partners at ACI Worldwide. By convening industry stakeholders in both the Nigerian and Kenyan markets, and facilitating discussions on topical issues, we aim to drive innovation and foster collaboration that will deepen digital payments and boost the payment ecosystem in Africa.”
In a similar vein, Santhosh Rao, Senior Vice President, MEASA, ACI Worldwide, said:
“Africa is on the cusp of a digital payments era and has the highest real-time share of electronic payments in 2023 at 40%, according to the fifth edition of our Prime Time for Real-Time report. The future of digital payments in Africa holds immense opportunities for advancing financial inclusion and fostering a prosperous continent. We are excited to participate in these events alongside Interswitch and other industry leaders. Together, we will share insights and discuss transformative strategies that will shape the future of payments.”