Lesetja Kganyago | Rewiring Payments: Open. Connected. Inclusive.

For firms operating in, or connecting to, South Africa's payment chain, the emphasis on openness, connectivity and inclusion points to a likely policy direction: greater interoperability, expanded access for non-bank providers and stronger focus on underserved users. Compliance teams should treat it as an early indicator for future SARB consultations, scheme rules and supervisory expectations. Immediate obligations appear limited, but payments, fintech and banking teams should map current capabilities against open interfaces, data-sharing controls, operational resilience and consumer-protection outcomes.

Cross-border firms should monitor how SARB's inclusion goals interact with AML/CFT, sanctions and data-localisation requirements. Action: assign ownership for payments-modernisation monitoring, engage industry bodies, and assess partnership and product opportunities in interoperable and inclusive payment services.