President Kagame hosted Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Kigali August 2, 2021
Kigali, November 11, 2025 — Rwanda and Tanzania have begun the technical testing phase of a new regional instant payment system that will allow people and businesses in both countries to send and receive money across borders instantly, securely, and at low cost.
The initiative marks a major step toward the East African Community (EAC)’s goal of a single, interconnected regional payment network, designed to make cross-border money transfers as easy as domestic ones.
At a high-level meeting underway in Kigali this week, technical teams from the National Bank of Rwanda, the Bank of Tanzania, and the EAC Secretariat began work to link Tanzania’s Instant Payment System (TIPS) with Rwanda’s National Payment Switch (RSwitch).
Once operational, the system will enable seamless real-time transfers between bank accounts and mobile money wallets in both countries.
“This preparatory work marks a pivotal milestone in our regional payment integration agenda,” said Eng. Daniel Murenzi, the EAC’s Principal Information Technology Officer.
“We are moving closer to a single regional instant payment ecosystem that will make transactions faster, cheaper, and more inclusive.”
The Tanzania–Rwanda connection is being developed as a Proof of Concept (PoC) pilot, the first of its kind in East Africa.
The pilot will test the technical and operational feasibility of directly interlinking two national retail payment systems.
Once successfully tested, the model will be expanded to include all EAC Partner States, paving the way for a regionwide instant payment network.
Fabian Ladislaus Kasole, Assistant Manager for Oversight and Policy at the Bank of Tanzania, who chairs the technical working group, said the project demonstrates the region’s shared vision for digital transformation.
“We are building a robust operational framework that will allow citizens and businesses to transfer funds across borders instantly and affordably. This is about deepening regional financial integration and inclusion,” he said.
For ordinary users, the new system promises to eliminate the long delays and high costs associated with existing cross-border transfers.
People will be able to send money directly to family, friends, or business partners across the border using existing mobile money or bank platforms, with funds delivered in real time.
The initiative is supported under the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP), funded by the World Bank and coordinated by the EAC Secretariat.
EARDIP aims to establish a modern, connected regional payment ecosystem, ensuring that even rural and remote communities can benefit from faster, safer, and more affordable digital transactions.
During the November 10–14, 2025 technical meetings in Kigali, participants from central banks, national payment systems, AfrikaNenda, the Mojaloop Foundation, and other stakeholders are addressing interoperability standards, regulatory frameworks, governance models, and cybersecurity safeguards.
“This is a practical and scalable first step toward a fully integrated digital payments market for East Africa,” said Murenzi. “Once completed, citizens will be able to transact across borders as easily as they do at home.”
If successful, the pilot will set the stage for a continent-wide instant payment network, making East Africa one of the first regions in Africa to implement cross-border real-time payments at scale — a move expected to boost trade, financial inclusion, and regional integration.
