In a keynote address at the Advancing Cross-Border Payments Conference in Pretoria, South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago set out South Africa’s focus on cross-border payments under its G20 presidency, anchored in the G20 Roadmap target of faster, more affordable, more transparent and more inclusive cross-border payments by 2027. Kganyago pointed to progress since the Roadmap’s launch in 2020 but highlighted ongoing obstacles in sub-Saharan Africa, including fragmented infrastructure, limited interoperability and data gaps that continue to impede efficiency and inclusivity. He emphasised the need for local payment systems to be fit for purpose and interoperable within the region and beyond, and described priority actions as strengthening regional cooperation, modernising and aligning regulatory frameworks, investing in interoperable infrastructure, and improving the availability and reliability of data to measure progress, with an emphasis on serving remittances and other small-value transfers.