The Bank of Namibia, through Instant Payments Namibia, published an implementation update on Namibia’s first e-money fast payment system, the Instant Payment Solution, linking the rollout to the government’s planned shift of social grant disbursements away from cash. The release says the system has moved beyond development, with integration to participating institutions’ core banking systems successfully tested and user acceptance testing now underway. In the initial government-to-person phase, pilots for existing banked beneficiaries are planned in the next few weeks with Bank Windhoek, Letsego Bank, Nampost and the Bank of Namibia’s Currency and Banking Operations Department. Once those processes are completed, the next stage will onboard pensioners and other beneficiaries who currently receive grants in cash, after which government payments are expected to move directly into beneficiaries’ accounts or wallets through participating institutions, limiting cash payouts over time. The release also says the broader rollout will cover person-to-person payments, business-to-person payments and e-wallet interoperability in phases over the next 18 months. The Bank of Namibia said it will accompany the rollout with a national digital literacy campaign, roadshows and stakeholder engagement.
Bank of Namibia2026-02-27
Bank of Namibia advances instant payment rollout with social grant pilots planned in coming weeks
The Bank of Namibia said Namibia’s Instant Payment Solution has completed core banking integration testing and is now in user acceptance testing. Pilot use for existing banked social grant beneficiaries is planned in the next few weeks, ahead of a wider shift from cash grant payments to account- or wallet-based disbursement. Additional payment use cases are to be rolled out in phases over the next 18 months.