Namibia’s new Instant Payment Solution (IPS) has successfully completed pilot testing in a live production environment, clearing the final hurdle before its phased national rollout.
Instant Payments Namibia (IPN) announced on Friday that the pilot phase involved the successful processing of live transactions between the Bank of Namibia’s Currency Management and Banking Operations Department and the first group of participating institutions, comprising Bank Windhoek, Nampost and Letshego Bank Namibia.
According to IPN, the successful transfer and receipt of funds confirmed the platform’s operational readiness and its ability to process instant payments securely and efficiently. The milestone follows extensive development, testing and validation work undertaken by the central bank, IPN and participating financial institutions.
IPN Chief Operating Officer Marsorry Ickua said the successful pilot marked a major step in the country’s payments modernisation efforts.
“The successful completion of pilot testing represents a significant milestone in Namibia’s payments modernisation journey. For the first time, we have demonstrated instant payments operating successfully in a live production environment, confirming that the solution is ready for implementation,” he said.
The new payment platform will now be introduced through a controlled phased rollout, beginning with Government-to-Person (G2P) payments.
The initial implementation phase will allow participating institutions to receive and disburse government social grants through the platform.
Subsequent phases will introduce additional payment use cases aimed at expanding access to digital financial services, improving convenience for users and supporting financial inclusion across the country.
Ickua said the platform would provide Namibians with a faster, more convenient and accessible payment experience.
IPN also acknowledged the contributions of Bank Windhoek, Nampost, Letshego Bank Namibia, the Bank of Namibia’s Currency Management and Banking Operations Department, technology partner NPCI International Payments Limited and other stakeholders involved in the project.
The Instant Payment Solution is designed to facilitate real-time electronic payments and forms part of broader efforts to modernise Namibia’s financial infrastructure.
The platform is expected to expand access to affordable financial services, particularly among rural communities and participants in the informal economy who face challenges accessing conventional banking services.
The solution is administered by Instant Payments Namibia, a subsidiary of the Bank of Namibia.
