Namibia’s banking sector says it is ready for the rollout of the country’s long-awaited instant payments platform, with several institutions already having completed testing ahead of implementation.
Outgoing Bankers Association of Namibia (BAN) chairperson Ester Kali said significant progress had been made on the project over the past year through close collaboration between banks and regulators.
According to Kali, a number of institutions have already demonstrated readiness, including NamPost, Bank Windhoek and Letshego.
“We have already started, and very soon we will launch the first phase. The banks are ready, we have already tested, and I am aware of three or four banks that have come on board. NamPost was ready, Bank Windhoek was ready, and Letshego was also among the first to be ready. We are now looking forward to the next phase of testing and the implementation phase next week, if I am not mistaken,” she said.
The instant payments platform is expected to transform the way money is transferred in Namibia by enabling transactions to be processed and settled within seconds, regardless of the time of day, weekends or public holidays.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to modernise Namibia’s financial infrastructure and expand access to digital financial services.
Earlier this year, Bank of Namibia Governor Ebson Uanguta said the central bank planned to launch the platform before June 2026, noting that the project had reached an advanced stage of development.
Uanguta said the system would go live with at least three initial use cases aimed at widening financial access, particularly for underserved communities.
The Ministry of Finance has also backed the project, describing it as a key reform aimed at reducing transaction costs and improving the efficiency of the country’s financial system.
Under the new platform, users will be able to send and receive money instantly using a mobile phone, supporting person-to-person transfers, business payments and government disbursements.
Unlike traditional electronic transfers, which can take several hours or days to clear, instant payments are completed in real time, providing immediate access to funds.
The launch is expected to mark a major milestone in Namibia’s digital banking transformation and bring the country’s payments ecosystem closer to international real-time payment standards.
