Standard Bank drives R164 trillion in payments

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG – STANDARD Bank has reinforced its position at the centre of Africa’s financial system, processing more than R164 trillion in payments during 2025.

With over 20 million clients and extensive correspondent banking relationships, the group’s infrastructure now facilitates more than R300 million in transactions every minute.

This scale reflects the bank’s growing importance in enabling trade, supporting liquidity and powering day-to-day economic activity across the continent.

Over the past year, Standard Bank processed 2.3 billion transactions, marking a 9% increase, largely driven by the rapid uptake of digital channels, merchant services and instant payment solutions.

“Payments today are far more than transactions—they are a critical enabler of client engagement and economic participation,” says Margaret Nienaber, Chief Operating Officer at Standard Bank Group.

“Our ability to operate at this scale is the result of sustained investment in resilient, modern infrastructure.”

Cross-border payments also showed strong momentum, rising 12% year on year. The bank continues to lead in this space, holding a 31% market share in South Africa and 17% across its broader African footprint.

This growth highlights increasing demand for faster, more efficient movement of money between African markets and global trade partners.

Standard Bank’s strategy centres on integrating multiple payment “rails” into a unified ecosystem. This includes traditional services such as card issuing and electronic transfers, alongside newer capabilities like real-time payments, embedded finance and advanced settlement technologies.

“Our approach is to build a seamless, multi-rail payments environment that delivers speed, security and flexibility to clients,” Nienaber explains.

“We are focused on creating intelligent systems that not only move money efficiently but also unlock value through data and insights.”

Domestically, the bank continues to expand its real-time payment capabilities, now available in 13 markets. South Africa has seen particularly strong adoption, with immediate payments growing 37% year on year.

Its merchant acquiring platform, SimplyBlu, is also gaining traction as businesses accelerate their shift to digital payment acceptance.

In East Africa, mobile and agency banking solutions are driving inclusion. Uganda’s FlexiPay platform recorded R7 billion in transaction value in 2025, reflecting rapid growth in mobile-first financial services.

Looking ahead, the bank is investing in next-generation technologies, including blockchain-enabled systems and digital assets.

Its Aroko platform has already processed more than R1 trillion in cross-border flows.

“Our ambition is to connect Africa to itself and the world through trusted, modern payment systems,” says Nienaber.

“By scaling securely and innovating continuously, we are helping to unlock sustainable economic growth across the continent.”

– CAJ News